Maoist menace can be fought with rural development: Jairam Ramesh

PHULBANI (Orissa): Seeking concrete steps to properly implement various welfare schemes in villages, Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the Maoist menace can be fought with rural development.

"Rural development is the answer to fight naxalism. It will improve the living standard of the people living in villages," Ramesh told reporters during a visit to the tribal-dominated and Maoist-hit Kandhamal district in Orissa.

Proper and successful implementation of welfare schemes like MGNREGA, PMGSY, IAY would be able to build a new relation between the government and tribal people, the cabinet minister said.

Though a lot of work is being done through MGNREGA and PMGSY, there still exists a gap between administration and people, Ramesh said asking the administration to move closer to the masses.

Impressed with abundant natural resources in Orissa, particularly Kandhamal, he said poor communication facilities poses a major obstacle in bringing speedy development in backward areas.

Yesterday, Ramesh had a meeting with collectors of seven naxal-hit districts of south Orissa - Kandhamal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, Malkangiri and Nayagarh - at Berhampur.

Jairam comes calling Saturday

BHUBANESWAR: With the State under CBI scanner for alleged irregularities in rural jobs under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), the two-day visit of Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, beginning Saturday, assumes significance.

Although details of his tour are not known, the Minister is likely to visit Ganjam and Kandhamal districts where he will review the implementation of various anti-poverty schemes including the wage-employment programme under NREGS.

Ganjam is one the districts where� massive irregularities in the implementation of the wage employment programme were reported.

His proposed visit to the communally sensitive Kandhamal district is equally important. The district witnessed one of the worst communal riots in the State in 2008 in the wake of the killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

Jairam is likely to review the rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected families and implementation of various schemes funded by his ministry.

The CBI is now probing the rural job scam in six western Orissa districts of Balangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada following a Supreme Court directive on May 12. The Central agency has been asked to submit a status report in six months.

Jairam is scheduled to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after his visit to the two districts. Private Secretary to the Union� Minister R Vineel Krishna, who had hit the national headlines following his abduction by Maoists during his stint as Malkangiri district collector in February, will accompany Jairam.