Naxal menace remains a major problem: PM

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) Admitting there is a
development deficit in areas affected by Left-wing extremism,
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Sunday said his
government is determined to address the deficit, while
maintaining that the menace remains a "major problem."
In his foreword in the "Government of the UPA: Report
to the People", Singh said the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA) Government has always adopted a nuanced approach in
dealing with Left-wing extremism.
"We will deal firmly with extremism but we also
recognise that there is a development deficit in the areas
affected by left-wing extremism and we are determined to
address this deficit," Singh said.
He said the government launched an Integrated Action
Plan for accelerated development of 60 selected Tribal and
Backward districts in 2010-11 which will be continued in
2011-12 also.
On external security, Singh said the government
continued its focus on modernisation of armed forces and
indigenous production of advanced weapon systems.
"During 2010-11, the indigenously developed light
combat aircraft, Tejas, was cleared for operations by the Air
Force and the first indigenously designed and built stealth
frigate -- INS Shivalik was commissioned," Singh said.
He said two regiments of the indigenous main battle
tank, Arjun, were operationalised by the Army.
The report noted that except for an attack on foreign
tourists in Delhi and a low intensity bomb blast in Varanasi,
there was no major terrorist incident in 2010-11.
Dwelling on the internal security measures taken by
the government, the report said the National Investigation
Agency has now been fully operationalised, with headquarters
in Delhi and branch offices in Cyberabad and Guwahati.
"23 cases have been entrusted to it, out of which
charge-sheets have been filed in 15 cases," the report says.
On steps to counter Left-wing extremism, the report
said these included setting up of a unified command in each of
the states of Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Orissa,
and launching of a new scheme to assist State governments in
construction or strengthening of 400 fortified police stations
at Rs 2 crore each in left wing extremism affected district.
The report said to ensure the defence preparedness of
the country, the UPA government continued its focus on
modernisation of the armed forces and indigenous production of
advanced weapons systems.
"A new Defence Production Policy was drawn up, with
the objective of achieving self reliance in defence
production," the report said.
The report said a new Defence Production Policy was
drawn up with the objective of achieving self reliance in
defence production.
"Important items of defence equipment and systems
produced during the year by the ordnance factories and the
public sector undertakings included battle tanks, aerial
platforms, missile systems, coastal security boats, fast
attack crafts, battle field surveillance radars, naval radars
ship borne electronic warfare system, mine protected
vehicles and infantry combat vehicles," it said.
During the year 2010-11, an amount of Rs 1,225 crore
was released to various states under the Scheme of
Modernisation of State Police Forces, which is an important
initiative for capacity building of state police forces.
Under the Coastal Security Scheme, Phase-I, 71 out of
73 coastal police stations and 92 out of 97 check-posts have
been made operational. 196 out of 204 boats have been
delivered by shipyards to coastal States and Union
Territories, it said.
On border infrastructure, it said the construction of
156 km of fencing, 169 km of border roads and 400 km of
floodlighting was completed along the Indo-Bangladesh border,
and construction of 76 border out posts commenced on the Indo-
Bangladesh and the Indo-Pakistan borders.
In the Gujarat sector, along the Indo-Pakistan border,
construction of 20 km of fencing and 25 km of border roads was
completed.
Formation works in 198.96 km and surfacing works in
21.26 km of 21 strategic roads were also completed along the
Indo-China border.
During 2010-11, an amount of Rs 691 crore has been
released to border States under the Border Area Development
Programme (BADP).
To facilitate trans-border movement of goods and
people, 13 integrated check-posts are being set up at
designated entry points on the international land borders of
the country, at an estimated cost of Rs 635 crore, it said.
In the first phase, construction of seven integrated
check-posts has been taken up, viz, Attari (India-Pakistan),
Raxaul (India- Nepal), Jogbani (India-Nepal), Dawki (India-
Bangladesh), Akhaura (India-Bangladesh), Moreh (India-Myanmar)
and Petrapole (India-Bangladesh).
The Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010 has been
enacted and action is under way to operationalise the
Authority, which will undertake the construction, management
and maintenance of the integrated check-posts, the report
added.