Mamata asks Maoists to lay down arms

Jhargram (WB), Jul 12 (PTI) Eastern-Indian state West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday asked Maoists to
join the mainstream by laying down arms and promised that her
government would provide them compensation and take care of
their families.
"Surrender your guns. You will get compensation and
the government will take care of your families. Stop
individual killings. If you have to take up arms, take it up
for the country," she told a public rally here on her first
visit to 'junglemahal' after becoming chief minister.
"Friends, return to the mainstream and the government
will look after you. I have faced guns. Which is mightier,
guns or the people? If there is no peace, development cannot
take place. You cannot procure food with guns," Banerjee said.
"Help rebuild junglemahal by creating an atmosphere of
peace and security," she said.
Referring to the potential of junglemahal, comprising
West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia districts and its
greenery, she said it has to be tapped for overall development
of the area and violence should cease.
"If there is no peace, who will come forward to work
for you? It is the prerequisite to work for peace to help
rebuild junglemahal."
Banerjee, who had campaigned vigorously for the
withdrawal of joint forces from junglemahal in the run-up to
the May Assembly elections, indicated that the central
paramilitary forces would stay on.
"The joint forces will not harm people. They will not
act against the innocent. Those doing no wrong have nothing to
fear from the joint forces," she said at Nayagram earlier.
"I want people to return to their homes and not hide
in jungles. I want the police to treat the people with
respect," Banerjee said.
She announced compensation of Rs one lakh each to
women who were victims of police atrocities in 2008. Maoists
had set off a landmine at Salboni in the district when former
chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was returning in a
convoy in November, 2008.
Subsequent police raids triggered protests leading to
the formation of the People's Committee Against Police
Atrocities and the start of the problems in junglemahal.
Announcing packages and projects for junglemahal, she
said rice at Rs two a kg would be provided to those with an
annual income up to Rs 42,000, annually.
The state government, she said, would increase the
number of old age pensioners from 8,809 to 75,205 and also
provide cycles to school girls from class IX to XII.
The chief minister said that a decision has been taken
to provide jobs to 10,000 persons from junglemahal in the
police and national volunteer force besides in special police
constable posts.
"They will work directly under the home department,"
she said, adding jobs will also be given to 1,800
Santhali-speaking people.