 "Congress, BJP downplay Naxal threat")
Notwithstanding calls from Naxal groups asking people to boycott the Lok Sabha elections, campaigning in the Gadchiroli-Chimur constituency in Maharashtra is slowly but steadily gathering momentum. Both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are seeking votes on the development plank and have prepared separate strategies to reach out to the villagers. As expected, the BJP is geared up to project its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi as a strong leader to curb the Naxal menace.
The Congress has replaced the incumbent, Marotrao Kowase, by nominating medical practitioner-turned-politician and member of state Legislative Assembly Namdeo Usendi. On the other hand, the BJP has maintained a status quo by re-nominating Ashok Nete, who had lost to Kowase in the 2009 polls.
Both the parties are ready to counter each other on hits and misses in handling the Left-wing extremism in Gadchiroli district. However, the Congress and BJP are unanimous on one thing that the Forest Conservation Act has been a major roadblock to expedite the development process and, thereby, increase job opportunities.
Usendi added the Centre and the state government should encourage minor forest produce based processing units. He informed the Rs 19-crore bamboo processing project will benefit over 5,000 farmers and they will earn Rs 1 lakh a year.
According him, contracts of minerals should be given to taluka or district-level cooperatives instead of the private sector to avoid confrontation with Naxal groups.
“The increase in railway network up to Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh will increase mobility and source of income to many. Therefore, we will seek votes based on development. We also strongly feel that gunfire is not the sole option to curb Naxal activities, but bringing villagers into the mainstream will help change the present scenario.”
BJP’s Gadchiroli district president Kisan Nagdeve admits that growing unemployment due to slow pace of growth because of provisions of the Forest Conservation Act is a burning issue. “The BJP is in favour of promotion of forest-based industries in a big way to help generate more and more jobs. Our party’s prime ministerial candidate, Modi, has reached in remote villages due to TV and social media. Naturally, Modi wave will help the BJP win over villagers in Gadchiroli.”
The Congress has replaced the incumbent, Marotrao Kowase, by nominating medical practitioner-turned-politician and member of state Legislative Assembly Namdeo Usendi. On the other hand, the BJP has maintained a status quo by re-nominating Ashok Nete, who had lost to Kowase in the 2009 polls.
Both the parties are ready to counter each other on hits and misses in handling the Left-wing extremism in Gadchiroli district. However, the Congress and BJP are unanimous on one thing that the Forest Conservation Act has been a major roadblock to expedite the development process and, thereby, increase job opportunities.
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Congress nominee Usendi told Business Standard: “Gadchiroli has 78 per cent or 1.1 million hectares of forest cover. The Forest Conservation Act puts up a slew of restrictions on developmental projects. It will be my priority to seek relaxation in the Forest Conservation Act so that irrigation projects worth Rs 20,000 crore pending for a long time can be undertaken. Of the 1.1-million hectares, only 6,000 hectares will be needed for the completion of irrigation projects, but it will create an ample opportunities for villagers. I will sit in front of the Rashtrapati Bhavan to press for this demand.”
Usendi added the Centre and the state government should encourage minor forest produce based processing units. He informed the Rs 19-crore bamboo processing project will benefit over 5,000 farmers and they will earn Rs 1 lakh a year.
According him, contracts of minerals should be given to taluka or district-level cooperatives instead of the private sector to avoid confrontation with Naxal groups.
“The increase in railway network up to Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh will increase mobility and source of income to many. Therefore, we will seek votes based on development. We also strongly feel that gunfire is not the sole option to curb Naxal activities, but bringing villagers into the mainstream will help change the present scenario.”
BJP’s Gadchiroli district president Kisan Nagdeve admits that growing unemployment due to slow pace of growth because of provisions of the Forest Conservation Act is a burning issue. “The BJP is in favour of promotion of forest-based industries in a big way to help generate more and more jobs. Our party’s prime ministerial candidate, Modi, has reached in remote villages due to TV and social media. Naturally, Modi wave will help the BJP win over villagers in Gadchiroli.”