Raman Singh ready with Bastar plan

Even as Bastar is in focus following a spurt in Naxalite violence,Chief Minister Raman Singh has set in motion a process...

Even as Bastar is in focus following a spurt in Naxalite violence,Chief Minister Raman Singh has set in motion a process to speed up the pace of development in the troubled area,earmarking Rs 2,200 crore and constituting a development group to oversee its implementation. Decisions about Bastar will be taken by this group,comprising senior officials,in order to cut down delays in sanctions and other administrative processes. All sanctioned works will start by this month with a target to see the results within 100 days, Singh said after the groups first meeting in Jagdalpur. An action plan is being chalked out to fill up all vacant posts in Bastar,Kanker,Dantewada,Bijapur and Narayanpur districts within 100 days while posts of Auxiliary Nurse Midwife and multi-purpose health workers will be filled up through a special campaign.

Cops save dying naxal

When the Maoists are on the prowl to kill the security forces,one of their comrades,active in the Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border,got help from police constables who donated blood to save his life after he was critically injured in an encounter in North Sarguja region. Chandika Yadav,a Naxalite associated with Basant group,had suffered severe blood loss after he was hit by a bullet during an encounter at a village under Chandini police station area in Surajpur police district, IGP Sarguja range P N Tiwari said. He was wanted in several cases and the police had declared a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to his arrest. After he was admitted to Sarguja district hospital in a critical condition,doctors said he requires blood transfusion. At present,his condition is stable.

Making of the new capital

The state government has hired a professional media company to make a film to document the evolution of Naya Raipur the new capital city being developed with state-of-the-art facilities,a world class convention centre,an IT SEZ,an 18 hole golf course,super specialty hospitals,malls and sports infrastructure. Its not just a film but a detailed documentation on the making of a city, Naya Raipur Development Authority sources said,indicating that the expenditure for such documentation could be close to a crore. While the work on a centrally air-conditioned capital complex to house the state secretariat is in progress,the government plans to inaugurate the new mantralaya by the end of this year or early next year. It is being developed across 8,000 hectares.

80 reservation in jobs?

The government is in no mood to take a decision in a hurry on the demand of tribal organisations for 32 per cent reservation in jobs. Indications are that it might seek the Centres opinion as such a move could take the total reservation to more than 50 per cent. While tribal leaders favour 32 per cent reservation for tribals,a section within the ministry is pressing for adding a 5 per cent reservation for the economically backward. The Scheduled Castes have come out in the open against the move to reduce their reservation from the existing 16 to 12 per cent. Besides,OBCs are not satisfied with the proposed 27 per cent reservation,as their population here is around 50 per cent. If all the demands are met with,the total reservation could touch 80 per cent.