States ask centre to bear cost of anti-Maoist operations

Home Minister Rajnath Singh Monday held a meeting with the chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh, during which the states demanded that the central government bear the cost of anti-Maoist operations.

The Central Zonal Council meeting, held in the Uttar Pradesh capital after 20 years, was aimed at seeking solutions to inter-state disputes and to other problems faced by these states.

Akhilesh Yadav (Uttar Pradesh), Shivraj Singh Chauhan (Madhya Pradesh), Harish Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) discussed many pending issues with Rajnath Singh.

The chief ministers demanded that the central government bear the cost of operations against Maoists.

Chhattisgarh officials said the state had spent Rs.3,200 crore on central forces involved in anti-Maoist operations in the last few years, and

Briefing media persons after the meeting, Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said the meet also took up issues like better state-centre coordination, more fund for child welfare, rural employment guarantee scheme, improvement of airports, modernisation of police force, prison reforms, environment and groundwater recharge.

Division of assets and properties between the hill state of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and hydropower projects in Uttarakhand were also discussed.

The chief secretary said Uttar Pradesh prepared a proposal of Rs.6,000 crore for inter-state coordination, police modernisation, prison reforms, which the union home ministry accepted for consideration.

Uttar Pradesh also sought funds for setting up of modern police control rooms on the lines of the Lucknow and Kanpur control rooms and one to coordinate between all police control rooms in the state.

Rajnath Singh, after listening to the various demands, assured the chief ministers of prompt and positive response.