The political endeavour under the Saranda Action Plan (SAP) — not just to bring the government closer to the local tribal population but also to give them a stake in the democratic set-up and unfetter the control of the Naxalites who infest the dense forests — seems to have made some progress.
Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh and Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda had launched the Rs.250-crore scheme about two months ago to benefit about a population of about 35,000 at Digha Panchayat, about 40 km from Chotanagra panchayat of Manoharpur block.
On Monday, the focus of the SAP was on Digha Panchayat again when Mr. Ramesh, along with the Jharkhand Social Justice Minister Vimla Pradhan laid the foundation stone for the construction of two roads and an integrated development centre (IDC) which will, within the same premises, provide important facilities such as health centre, school, public distribution system and payment of pension to the aged, widowed and disabled, to name a few.
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“The objective of SAP is to get the government near you and correct the historical mistake of 50 years of neglect of the tribal and rural people. But without your cooperation this battle against Naxalism cannot be won. You have to repose faith in the government and that your interests could be best taken care of by the government and not the Naxalites,” Mr. Ramesh told the local people.
He asked them to repose the responsibility of development with the government to ensure the development of the community. “That will put pressure on the government. It is only if you have confidence and faith that the government will work for you and this new scheme will succeed.”
Stressing that the fight against Naxalism was a “long psychological battle,” Mr. Ramesh maintained that the success of the SAP was critical in taking forward the battle against the Naxalites across the country.
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He said that without the cooperation of the people, deployment of any number of Central forces and helicopters would not yield the necessary result.He also emphasised the need for political parties to unite and come forward to make their presence felt in the Naxalite-affected areas. People who attended the function in large numbers aired problems ranging from lack of higher secondary school, health facility and checkdams to migration of youth for want of jobs.
They also alleged irregularities in the execution of the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and refusal by forest officials to allow construction of roads.