Wednesday, April 20 2005 13:48 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre has asked insurgency-hit States to intensify anti-naxalite operations while keeping the door always open for a peace dialogue with naxal groups, Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the Rajya Sabha today (Apr 20, 2005).

Responding to supplementaries during Question Hour, he said some districts in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal were affected by naxal violence in varying degrees.

He said keeping in view that the naxal problem was not merely a law and order problem, the Centre has adopted a multi-pronged counter strategy taking into account the security and development aspects of the problem.

Patil said besides reviewing and coordinating the steps taken by States to counter the menace of naxalism, his Ministry provided financial assistance to naxal-hit States in the form of reimbursement of security related expenditure under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.

Funds are also provided for modernisation of State police forces for upgrading the weaponry, equipment mobility and training under the Police Modernisation scheme to enable them to effectively meet the threat to internal security and law and order posed by the naxals, he said.

On the development side, he said the Centre has advised the States to accord top priority in their annual plans to speed up integrated development of naxal-affected districts.