Mumbai

Maharashtra Government is giving a big push to infrastructure development in Naxal-affected districts and will also provide additional benefits to civil contractors and employees working there.

The BJP-Shiv Sena Government has lined up Rs 3,942 crore worth of projects in the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas to improve connectivity.

“We cannot think of welfare of adivasis without developing Naxal-affected districts like Gadchiroli. Unless we develop these regions, people living there will not get respite from the Naxal menace,” PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil told reporters here.

“To ensure development, 139 schemes will be undertaken by the Government in Phase 2 of RRP (Road Requirement Plan (RRP). These include 2,352 km of roads, 128 new small and 50 big bridges. The entire project will be executed at a cost of Rs 3,942 crore,” he said.

The State will work towards further incentivising Government employees and contractors, as under the current circumstances, they are unwilling to work in Naxal-hit areas.

“As of today, no officers or contractors are willing to work there. We already provide incentives for those who work in these areas. In addition, the Government will provide 30 per cent extra money on the amount of work undertaken by contractors.

“Contractors also complain it takes a lot of time for them to get reimbursements through insurance if their machinery is destroyed by Naxals. The Government will take care of this now. They will be reimbursed swiftly so that work does not stop,” Patil said.

“As far as Government officials are concerned, they will get immediate promotion if they work in Naxal-affected regions. On top of that, they will be given a posting of their choice after a period of three years,” he said.

Under Phase 1 of RRP, 43 schemes had been sanctioned – at a total cost of Rs 940 – which included 450 km of road development, two big bridges over rivers Godavari and Indravati. Of these, 34 have been completed, he said.

Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Bhandara, all falling in Vidarbha region, are LWE-hit districts.

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