Fight against Naxalism requires security, development: PM

NEW DELHI - The fight against Maoist insurgency is not limited to security agencies and development is also necessary, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday.

Speaking at the 83rd Congress plenary here, he admitted that Naxalism is a big challenge for us.

The fight against problems like Naxalism cannot be won only by security agencies. We cannot ignore the point that one aspect of the problem is attached to development, he said.

He urged that the issue had to be tackled above politics and the state and centre will have to work together… We are giving all possible help to state governments to fight Naxalism, he added.

The prime minister said that in the 60 districts of the country affected by Maoist insurgency, the government has approved an integrated action plan to increase the pace of development work.

We can’t expect the result of these efforts to come very early but we believe that after some time we will succeed, he said.

The prime minister also noted that in Maoist regions, the government had to ensure that polices and welfare programme for social justice were properly implemented and administered.