Nath wants two MP districts to be listed as Naxal-affected

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Kamal Nath has asked Home Minister P Chidambaram to include two districts in his home state of Madhya Pradesh in the list of those affected by “left-wing extremism”.

This inclusion will enable the government to upgrade state highways through a special dispensation provided for roads in Naxal-affected areas.

Nath, a member of Parliament from Chindwara in Madhya Pradesh, has asked Chidambaram to include Mandla and Dindori districts under this category.

The two districts share their boundaries with Balaghat in the state and Rajnandgaon and Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, which have already been indentified as affected by Left-wing extremism.

Bidding norms and eligibility condition for roads in the troubled areas are relaxed and the government awards the project even if it receives response from a single bidder. The norms are further looked at and relaxed on a case-to-case basis.

In its second term, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has taken road building in Naxal-hit areas on a priority basis and has awarded 45 projects covering 961 km at a cost of Rs 999 crore. The UPA did not build any roads under this category in its first stint.

The government plans to increase connectivity in the areas affected by Left-wing extremism by building all-weather roads. The project would be initiated in 33 Naxal-hit districts in Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Connecting these areas through roads will improve the services of the public distribution system, health, employment and education.