NAXALISM CAN ONLY BE COUNTERED BY DEVELOPMENT: CHHATTISGARH CM

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh says “frustrated Maoists” are losing their footholds due to the joint actions of the state and central governments which have put the state on the path of development by building roads, schools and hospitals in remote, inaccessible areas that were earlier the hotbeds of left-wing extremist militias.

The longest-serving Chief Minister of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also said that Naxalism can only be countered through development and that there would be “no dearth of money” in this regard as long as Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister.

“My dream for the state is a peaceful and progressive Chhattisgarh. We are on that path. We will soon end the menace of Naxalism from its roots. We are progressing in that direction,” Singh told IANS in an interview here.

Asserting that development is the “mool mantra” (basic principle) of the BJP government, he said, “By carrying out development works, we have been successful in awakening society. It will definitely benefit us.

“Naxalism can only be countered by development. Wherever we are constructing roads and working on development, the Maoists are losing their foothold. Now, we have reached very close and are moving ahead in an important direction to root out the menace.”

The Chief Minister said that his government was getting better cooperation from the Centre on the Maoist front, especially after the BJP came to power in 2014, and has been working in close coordination with it.