The village that 2006-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) official Alex Paul Menon “adopted” for making it a model of development finally became the ground for his abduction by Naxalites Saturday evening.
Manjipara, a sleepy village predominated with the poor tribals, is located about 2-km from the block headquarters of Kerlapal and 500-km from here. This is the village from where the 32-year-old official was picked up by Left extremists after gunning down his two body guards.
“Menon had adopted the village to take up a series of infrastructure and other development works besides making it a model village in the area,” O P Chowdhary, Collector of neighbouring Dantewada district, said. He had been visiting the village from time to time to see the progress of the work.
A senior official in Sukma told Business Standard that Menon was planning a massive cashew nut plantation project in the area so that it could help the villagers in improving their socio-economic condition. The proposal for taking up the project was in the final stage, the official added.
Known to be an official who never deterred from his duties, Menon wanted to change the shape of Sukma with the infrastructure development work as its first Collector. The district, which is probably the worst-Naxal infested districts in the country, came into being in January this year.
With a considerable area under the sway of Left guerillas, the district had been cut off with the mainstream of development. Menon had been busy preparing roadmap of development for the district and had taken up a number of projects.
“Of them included the ambitious town planning for Sukma,” Menon’s wife Asha said. The District Collector had been sharing his vision and mission with his wife. “He was working on taking up a massive road construction work in the district headquarters and had engaged a consultant also for the job,” she said.
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“Menon is safe and we have got information in this connection,” Additional Director General of Police Ramniwas said. He however refused to reveal the strategy on which the government was working for the safe release of the official. “The strategy has been prepared but it cannot be disclosed,” he added.
The state government said it was making all efforts for the safe release of Menon. “But we have not deployed any mediator for the same,” Ramniwas said, hinting that the government was waiting for the response from the Naxalites before drawing any final strategy.