India ready to suspend mining contracts for talks with Maoists

London, Feb 10 (PTI) Union Home Minister P Chidambaram
has said the Indian Government is willing to suspend contracts
with mining firms as part of efforts to persuade Maoists to
give up arms and come to the negotiating table.
"We are willing to suspend all memorandums of
understanding (with mining companies) until we talk to the
Communist Party of India (Maoist) and review them,"
Chidambaram told British daily the Financial Times.
Chidambaram said the Government is looking to bring
Maoists to negotiations by insisting that mining contracts be
reviewed to provide royalty payments for local communities.
"The MOUs that have been signed have not been
implemented. There is no law and order for them to be
implemented," he was quoted as saying in an interview
published online on Tuesday.
"When implemented (now) that mining company must pay a
certain royalty that should be reinvested for their education
and their development," he said.
On Tuesday, Chidambaram said that the Centre was ready
for talks with Maoists if they halted violence.
"My appeal to all the naxals on behalf of all the chief
ministers who participated in the conference two days ago, on
behalf of naxal affected states, if you abjure violence that
is if you say a halt to violence, we are not asking you to do
anything more, if you halt the violence we are prepared to
talk to you on any matter," Chidambaram had said after a
meeting of chief minister of Naxal-affected states. PTI