VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh government has urged the aid of the Centre to strengthen its police force in the wake of increase in threat perception from the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
After the recent Maoist ambush in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, in which 25 CRPF personnel were killed, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh convened a meeting of Home Ministers and DGPs of Maoist affected States in New Delhi on Monday and reviewed the law and order situation.
Home Minster N Chinna Rajappa and DGP N Sambasiva Rao attended the meeting. The government has decided to strengthen its police force and communication network to combat the Maoist menace effectively. It has proposed to provide rail connectivity to the agency areas from Srisailam to Chintapalle.
The proposed new railway lines include Bhadrachalam - Rayagada, Araku - Paderu, Paderu - Sileru, Sileru - Bhadrachalam and Narsipatnam Cross Roads - Chintapalle. The rail connectivity will help boost tourism in the State. It has also been proposed to strengthen the road connectivity.
As part of it, development of three strategic corridors, including Visakhapatnam-Raipur, Vijayawada-Jagadalpur (NH 30) and Rajamahendravaram-Vizianagaram (NH 516E), has been taken up. Under the Rural Roads Project the Centre has sanctioned 128 works for the State. The government has taken up 5,280 km long road works connecting 6,564 tribal hamlets.
The State government has laid emphasis on development of basic infrastructure in the agency areas to combat the Maoist menace effectively. An action plan with an outlay of `614 crore has been evolved for the welfare of tribal youth. The government has proposed to provide allowance to the unemployed youth in the State to wean them away from the influence of extremism.
The Home Minister listed out the initiatives taken by the State government to combat the Maoist menace.
He urged the Centre to release funds to the State as per the AP Reorganisation Act-2014.