Rs.25 crore plan for 60 Maoist-hit districts: Chidambaram

NEW DELHI - The government will give Rs.25 crore to each of the 60 Maoist-affected districts in central and east India to ensure that the benefits of development reach the poor tribals, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday.

The special development plan that will be implemented over two years (2010-11 to 2011-12) envisages governance reforms and devolution of power to grassroots institutions, Chidambaram told reporters here.

The plan was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Manmohan Singh that met here Thursday.

The integrated action plan for tribal areas is aimed at building roads, panchayat ghar, ration shops, aanganwari centres, school buildings… things that can be completed in weeks or months, Chidambaram said.

“In the current year, a block-grant of Rs.25 crore will be made available to each of the 60 selected districts for which the schemes will be decided by a committee headed by the district collector with deputy superintendent of police and forest development officer as members.

“During 2011-12, the block grant will be raised to Rs.30 crore per district. The scheme will be reviewed for implementation in the 12th Plan at a later stage,” he said.

The home minister rejected the notion that officers were unwilling to work in Maoist-hit areas.

“That is not true. What they want is autonomy and flexibility, their movement is restricted but it is not as if officers don’t want to go there.”

The scheme - working on 100 percent grant basis - will focus on flagship programmes like the job guarantee scheme and midday meal scheme.

Chidambaram said the government will try to use local labourers to build infrastructure in these districts.

He said the scheme will focus on effective implementation of the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (Forest Rights Act).