GULBARGA: The Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, will hold a discussion on the naxalite issue with senior officials and a group of intellectuals in Bangalore on Sunday.

Making the announcement to presspersons here on Thursday, the Chief Minister, N. Dharam Singh, said the State Government has decided to invite about 120 intellectuals, including professors, to the meeting to hear their opinion on the issue. Senior officials, including police officers, will give their views.

Socio-economic problem

Reiterating the Government's commitment to dealing with the naxalite issue as a socio-economic problem, he said naxal activities are confined to the proposed Kudremukh National Park area in Chikmagalur and the surrounding region. Naxal activities in the national park area have increased mainly because of the decision to evict the tribal people from the park and lack of rehabilitation programmes for them, he added.

Rehabilitation

Mr. Dharam Singh said it is difficult for the Government to rehabilitate tribal people in forest areas under the Forest Act without permission from the Centre.

Delhi visit

He said that during his recent visit to New Delhi, he discussed the issue with Mr. Shivraj Patil and sought an amendment to the Forest Act giving powers to the States to take up rehabilitation measures.

The response from the Centre was good and a promise was made to consider the demand, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Dharam Singh said that during his discussion with the Union Home Minister, he reiterated the demand of the State for amending Article 371 of the Constitution to provide for special reservation for people in backward areas.

He rejected the offer of giving statutory status to the development boards in the backward regions, he said.

Admissions

On the admissions imbroglio and in view of private college managements saying they will not admit students selected by the Government through the common entrance test (CET), Mr. Dharam Singh said he will convene a meeting of representatives of college managements and urge them to continue last year's formula for admitting students to medical and engineering courses this year.

`Govt. not to blame'

He said the State Government is not to blame for the situation as the judgment on cases filed by private college managements in the Supreme Court is delayed. A solution to the controversy over admissions lies in Central legislation for a uniform policy all over the country on admissions and fee structure in professional courses.

Meeting with Arjun Singh

During his recent visit to New Delhi, he met the Human Resource Development Minister, Arjun Singh, and reiterated the demand for the enactment of a Central law, the Chief Minister said.

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