The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Task force on naxal issue gathers views Leaders accused of abandoning good policies

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Dec 01, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Task force on naxal issue gathers views Leaders accused of abandoning good policies

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, NOV. 30. The Task Force appointed by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) to study the naxalite problem was told here on Tuesday that good policies aimed at tackling extremism were not continued for their `inherent worth' by successive Governments.

The view was expressed by a retired Chief Secretary, V.P. Rama Rao, at a round table conference the Task Force had with different sections of people at the end of its three-day tour of the State. Mr. Rao based his observation on the discontinuance of the Remote Areas Development Programme initiated by late Chief Minister, M. Channa Reddy, in 1989-90. N. Janardhan Reddy, who succeeded Channa Reddy, did not take the programme seriously just when it was beginning to yield results.

He said a strong political will could have checked the deteriorating naxalite problem. The TDP MLA of Sircilla, Ch. Rajeswara Rao, blamed the police for aggravating the law and order situation through its oppressive handling.

Reforms demanded

He demanded radical administrative reforms to put an end to the problem. He said the police were part of the bureaucracy which was expected to translate Government policy into action. But, while suppressing any uprising, the police behaved at will and was the cause of defeat for successive Governments.

He also said naxalites would realise that their existence was questionable if the local bodies were given full powers.

The Task Force team separately met the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, the DCC presidents and leaders of naxal-affected districts.

Ajit Jogi, a member of the Task Force, said the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, had constituted the panel for an in-depth study realising the gravity and seriousness of the naxalite problem.

The Task Force convenor, M. Sashidhar Reddy, said the space left vacant by the administration and political parties was occupied by people with left wing ideology.

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