CBI being considered8217; for Satbhaya case, says CM

NAVSARI, Aug 10: Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel said on Tuesday that his government would consider inviting the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe the Nitaben Satbhaya murder case, which has not been solved for close to eight months.

He said this at a press conference here when asked if the government was unhappy with the DCB and CID probes, and planned to rope in the premier investigating agency. Notwithstanding the unsolved case, Patel claimed that crime was falling all over the State 8220;because of effective policing and discriminate use of the PASA by his government8221;. On the recent Rally for the Valley, the chief minister alleged that Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar had tried to influence the Supreme Court by bringing in noted writer Arundhati Roy. 8220;But the programme was anything but successful8221;, he maintained.

Commenting on the State government8217;s implementation of the Bhuria Committee report, Patel said tribals would now be able to chalk out their own developmental plans. 8220;It will help greatly in improving the lot of tribals in the State. Our party will also win seats in the Adivasi belt8221;, he added.

The Bhuria committee report guarantees that 80 per cent of all development work decisions will be taken at the gram sabha level, without any State government intervention. Commenting on the Umargam tribals and fishermen8217;s opposition to the proposed port at Maroli, the chief minister said that agitation had toned down considerably.