BHUBANESWAR: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that he was not averse to meeting Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf at the summit of the non-aligned countries in Havana next month.

At a press conference here, Dr. Singh, however, said the peace process could not move forward until Pakistan took firm measures to tackle terrorism.

"It all depends on what Pakistan is willing to do to check terrorism in the region." Observing that terrorism was a big problem for Pakistan too, he said India would not hold talks with Pakistan till it took concrete steps to deal with the menace.

Terror attacks

Expressing concern over the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai and Varanasi, the Prime Minister said his Government was committed to tackling terrorism and naxalism.

"We will do whatever best possible to tackle these problems." Dr. Singh promised to provide all support for the development of the backward Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput (KBK) region of Orissa.

On his maiden visit to the Stateas Prime Minister, Dr. Singh he said the Centre would leave no stone unturned to provide help to the State Government in addressing the issues of poverty. "I assure the people of Orissa that funds will not be a constraint for their development."

Continued assistance

"We will continue to give Rs. 250 crore for the next six years to the KBK districts, totalling Rs.1,500 crore. This is in comparison to the Rs. 700 crore given by the National Democratic Alliance Government."

In addition, the number of districts covered under the Rashtriya Shram Vikas Yojana had been raised to 11 from five.

Nineteen of the 30 districts had been covered under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, he pointed out.

Flood relief

The Prime Minister, who made an aerial survey of some flood-hit areas, announced that the Centre would immediately release Rs. 200 crore as assistance. It would also send a special team to assess the damage caused by floods during the monsoon season.

Dedicating the 3,000 MW Talcher Super Thermal Power Station to the nation earlier in the day, Dr. Singh stressed the need for developing all sources of energy to meet the future requirements of the country.

The power station at Kaniha in Angul district is the largest in the country and has six 500 MW units. The foundation stone of the project was laid by the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi.

Stating that the Planning Commission had estimated that the electricity generation capacity would need to go up from 1,31,000 MW to more than 8,00,000 MW by 2030, Dr. Singh said the need was to diversify the choices and strategies.

"We have to develop all sources of energy, including oil, gas, coal, hydel, solar and biogas and nuclear." The Centre had begun preparations to establish a 4,000 MW power plant in Orissa. At a meeting at the Institute of Physics here, Dr. Singh said the Centre would set up a National Institute of Science Education and Research here.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail