Chidambaram visits Maoist-affected Gadchiroli

GADCHIROLI - Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Tuesday visited the Maoist stronghold of Gadchiroli district in eastern Maharashtra to review the security scenario and discuss development plans for the area, an official said.

“He (Chidambaram) was here to review security measures taken by the district police along with the CRPF,” said Gadichiroli Collector Atul Patney.

“He also reviewed development plans that the district authorities will execute after we receive funds under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP),” he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in November had approved the IAP to be implemented in 60 tribal and backward districts of the country affected by Maoist violence.

Under IAP, each district will each receive a grant of Rs.55 crore over a two year period.

Patney said that Gadchiroli will receive its first block of the grant of Rs.25 crore in a week or two. “We will then kickstart the development plans of the district. Chidambaram reviewed some plans with us,” he said.

Patney, however, did not outline the development plans.

Chidambaram, who was accompanied by Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil and Director General of Police D. Sivanandan, visited a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp in the Murunga forest, about 30 km from the district town.

He later addressed police personnel and CRPF troopers in Dhanora area, which had seen Maoist guerrillas set a panchayat building afire ahead of his visit. No casualties were reported.

Officials said it was the first time that a union home minister has visited Gadchiroli, one of the districts affected by Maoist violence. Chidambaram later returned to Mumbai.

Gadchiroli, about 950 km from Mumbai bordering Andhra Pradesh, has been a troubled area with Maoist guerrillas frequently targeting security forces and government property. In October last year, 18 police personnel were killed when Maoists ambushed a police patrol.