Socio-economic development linked to Naxal problem: Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday said that left-wing extremism (LWE) has to be tackled jointly by the affected states through regular coordination and cooperation.

"LWE is a common problem in some of the states. Therefore, it has to be tackled jointly with regular coordination and mutual cooperation," Singh, who chaired the 22nd Eastern Zonal Council meeting, was quoted in a PIB release issued yesterday.

"The government of India is making all-out efforts for infrastructure development and for socio-economic uplift of the people," he said emphasising that the efforts should reach people to counter the negative propaganda.

Besides LWE, the eastern zonal council also discussed modernisation of state police forces, curbing of communal tension, curbing of drug trafficking, measures for bringing the green revolution to eastern India, issues relating to fisheries, the productivity of livestock and poultry to usher in a blue revolution, the release said.

The issues of sharing of water of major rivers, development of railways, construction of dedicated freight corridor and multi-sectoral development programme in the eastern zone were also discussed in detail.

The issue of internal security in general and in the eastern zone, in particular, was also discussed in the meeting with the Home Minister mentioning that the internal security matters and its challenges needed to be dealt with resolute action and on the principles of cooperative federalism.

A meeting on coastal security was held in this regard at Mumbai on June 16, 2016, of all the coastal states, he added.

Singh mentioned about the growth potential of the zone and acknowledged the growth of Ranchi city which has been selected by the central government as one of the hundred Indian cities to be developed as a smart city.

The meeting was attended by Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Odisha Finance Minister Pradip Kumar Amat, West Bengal Planning Minister Asis Banerjee and senior officers from the central and state governments. The next meeting of the eastern zonal council will be held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha.

• Home Minister Rajnath Singh
• Rajnath Singh
• Naxals
• Left wing extremism