Sources said Ramesh, who opposed inclusion of relatively peaceful districts like Chhindwara under Integrated Action Plan, has directed that Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows (PMRDFs) be pulled out from the pocketborough of the Urban Development Minister.
PMRDFs are young professionals aged between 22 and 30 selected to work in the Naxal-affected region for two years under the scheme launched earlier this year.
Ramesh asked the officials to "re-deploy" the young professionals appointed in Chhindwara to any other districts like Chattisgarh's Sukma, which is severely hit by Naxal menace, they said.
Sukma, which was in news recently after its Collector Alex Paul Menon was was kidnapped by Naxals on April 21, has not been included under Integrated Action Plan.
Ramesh was attending the meeting of 43 PMRDFs who have been selected for functioning as development facilitators at Naxal-affected districts of the country.
The minister remarks came when officials said that a young professional will be deployed at Chhindwara, sources told PTI.
Ramesh had earlier shot off a letter to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia protesting the inclusion of of Chhindwara as an IAP district.
He had also asked the Planning Commission to take immediate steps to bring districts like Sukma under the ambitious centrally sponsored programmes for development.
The Rural Development Ministry in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Science have launched the Prime Minister's Rural Development Fellows (PMRDF) programme aiming to bring convergence of development and welfare initiatives and schemes by the central and state governments.
The first phase of the PMRDF programme has selected 156 graduates from across the country with diverse disciplinary backgrounds.
A total of 147 fellows have been deployed for 2 to 3 years to work with the respective district administration and assess the implementation of various government schemes.
