ROURKELA: After P Chidambaram’s ‘Operation Green Hunt’ to flush out the Maoists from the wild, Jairam Ramesh has decided to unleash a peace offensive. And what could be a better place for him than Saranda, the hotbed of Maoists.Saranda region has a dense forest along Orissa-Jharkhand border and Maoists consider it as their safe haven. The outlawed outfit has been using the forest as its operational hub.And now New Rural Development Minister Ramesh had sent a Central team to the area to envisage some developmental schemes that would wean away the locals from the Maoists. R Vineel Krishna, the former Malkangiri Collector once kidnapped by the Maoists, is a member of the team.The zealous efforts of the ministry, if it materialises, could be the key for lasting peace in Maoist-affected Jharkhand and the border pockets of Sundargarh. Ramesh has already approached the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), which has mines in the area, to contribute towards the new schemes being worked out.The troubled Saranda forest regions caught the attention of the ministry following the massive ‘Area Domination Operation’ by the joint forces of Jharkhand and Orissa.Sources said the seven-member team, accompanied by officials from West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, visited the interior pockets of Redha, Sagjhori and Panchpaiya. They interacted with tribals and elected members to boost development activities in the region. The team had visited Digha, Makaranda and Trilposh the previous day. A key official of the ministry, Vineel Krishna, had toured the areas four days ago.The team would submit its report to the Jharkhand Government and the Centre, Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum District Collector K Srinivasan said. He hoped that more funds would be allocated for the development of the affected region. Development is crucial to curb Maoist menace in the region, he added.Security forces in Sundargarh district echoed similar sentiments. Taking advantage of inaccessible and inhospitable terrains, Maoists have set up their Eastern Regional Bureau in the zone. Saranda, the operational hub of Maoists, has become a major headache for Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal governments. Earlier, DIG (Western Range) Y K Jethwa had said that peace on the border regions of Sundargarh cannot be restored till Maoists are tamed in Saranda.
Comments
0 comment