Let us chase Naxals to other states: Rosaiah

The proposal envisages developing road and communications infrastructure from the Andhra side into the Maoist-strongholds across the border.

We can start by building roads from the Andhra areas into the Maoist zones in the three neighbouring states. Right now,they remain inaccessible and have become safe zones for the Maoists. Police can only go there on foot and it takes a lot of time. If we want to prevent the Maoists from making a comeback in Andhra,we have to finish off these safe zones near the border in these three states. Our police are willing to do that job provided they get access to these places, Chief Minister K Rosaiah said.

We have submitted a proposal with an outlay of Rs 1,607 crore for opening up Andhras borders with these three states for infrastructure development to tackle the Maoists. This project envisages developing a network of roads and bridges and other infrastructure in a 30-km wide corridor along the inter-state borders from Adilabad to Srikakulam, he said.

Andhra is especially worried because all areas along its border are severely affected areas from Adilabad district which borders Gadchiroli in Maharashtra,Karimnagar and Khammam which border Dantewada in Chhattisgarh,and East Godavari,Visakhapatnam,and Srikakulam districts which border Orissa.

Officials said Maoists have already created a seamless corridor that links Visakhapatnam district to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra through Dantewada via Koraput and Malkangiri districts in Orissa.

Officials involved in anti-Maoist operations said it would be highly strategic to open up the border areas and this is the right time to start laying roads from the Andhra side into the Maoist-affected areas of Orissa,Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

Since we are not able to lay roads and establish infrastructure in the affected areas due to extremist violence,it will be prudent to identify the likely adjoining areas where Naxalism will spread in the next few years. We should undertake massive developmental measures in these districts so that the spread of Naxalism to newer areas can be effectively checked, Rosaiah said.

An official involved in anti-Maoist operations said that without a road network in these areas,security forces have to walk 40-50 km to conduct operations. After walking for two days,they can be hardly expected to be ready to conduct an operation against well-entrenched Maoists. If there are roads and bridges,we can use vehicles to deploy the forces quickly and effectively, the official said.

Andhra is keen that the Centre accept and implement this project under the Special Infrastructure Scheme for insurgency-affected areas as soon as possible. The causes which enabled Naxalism to grow and persist,namely inaccessibility of remote areas to delivery of government services,lack of health and education,lack of exposure to modern development to people residing in these areas,still remain unaddressed in these districts, Rosaiah said.

He took up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram on the sidelines of the National Development Council meeting. He said the criteria adopted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for inclusion of insurgency-affected districts under special development category puts Andhra at a disadvantage.

According to the MHA criteria,a district falls in the category for special development only if 20 per cent or more police station areas are affected by Naxal violence. With this criteria except for Khammam and Visakhapatnam,none of the other districts will be entitled for development initiatives of Government of India, Rosaiah said.