The Planning Commission has finalised a Rs 13,742 crores Integrated Action Plan (IAP) that will act as a catalyst for development in 60 Naxalite-affected districts spread across Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa.
The scheme will also be initially implemented in one district each of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
The IAP put together in coordination with the ministries of home, environment and forests and also Panchayati Raj aims at providing infrastructure and facilities like drinking water, electricity, roads, sanitation and health services on a fast footing.
The Centre has given the state governments a period of three years to implement the IAP. To ensure that this development activity actually reaches the grass root level, the Centre is determined that the implementation arm of the IAP will be the Panchayats Extension (to Schedule Areas) Act of 1996 (PESA).
“Initially, the plan will be implemented in 35 Left-wing extremist affected districts which will be given Rs 45-50 crores for setting up primary health care, educational and sanitation facilities. Later, it can be extended to other districts as well,” Union home minister P. Chidambaram told foresters during the course of a national conference on forestry administration in Naxal-affected areas.
The home minister emphasised, “However much we may romanticise life in the forests, let us remember they will remain poor as long as they live under the present conditions. “Unless we bring to them modern education, sanitation, better quality drinking water, more nutritious food they will remain what they are — with the highest infant mortality rate, highest mortality rate,” he said.
“Development will continue in addition to the existing security related schemes being doled out,” said Mr Chidambaram insisting that abject poverty was a breeding ground for extremism.