Raman Singh seeks additional Central aid, spl status for Chg

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh has sought an additional fund from Centre for modernisation of police in the naxal-hit state and also demanded a special category status for the state.
"CM Singh had urged upon the need of special assistance from Centre to take on the Maoist problem during the meeting of Central Regional Council at Lucknow yesterday," said an official statement issued here today.
Sixteen out of 27 districts in Chhattisgarh are affected by the left wing extremism (LWE) and seven of them are worst-hit.
With the support of Centre, the state government is making all efforts for the social and economic betterment of people in these districts but there is a need to boost the resources for peaceful development keeping in view the security and law and order situation in the region, the release quoted CM as saying in the meeting.

Chhattisgarh should be accorded special A category status like that of J & K and north-eastern states so that it would receive 90 per cent of assistance from Centre and arrange abundant resources to combat menace of Naxalism, he said.
Till June 30, 2014, Chhattisgarh had spent 3,500 crore on the deployment of central paramilitary forces in the state.

Centre should bear this cost henceforth so that the state would get rid of the burden, he said.
Emphasising on the need to ensure security to infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, railway track and other mega projects in Maoist zone, Singh also urged to include expenditure on deployment of security personnel for such development works in the project cost.

The strength of the police personnel in the state has reached to 68,354 which was 22,549 in 2000 when Chhattisgarh was founded, he said briefing about the status of police department.
The number of police station has jumped to 424 from 298 while police outposts have increased from 57 to 107 during this period, he said.
In past 11 years, eleven new districts have been formed while as many armed forces battalions have been sanctioned, he said.