Poverty, lack of development lead to Naxalism: PC

Expressing confidence that Left wing extremism would be tamed in medium term, Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday said poverty and lack of development in affected areas were the main cause of Naxalism.

Replying to supplementary questions in the Rajya Sabha, he said the Centre was extending all help to state governments to deal with the menace.

He said a two-pronged strategy -- appropriate police action led by state governments in collaboration with central forces and development works in the affected areas -- has been adopted to deal with the problem.

The minister said he was confident that by working with state governments and adoption of the two-pronged strategy, the situation would be controlled in the medium term.

While poverty and lack of development in the 60 Naxal-hit areas were main reasons for support to extremists, Chidambaram said the Naxal leaders were motivated by ideology and wanted to overthrow the parliamentary form of democracy.

He said the government was ready to talk to CPI(Maoist) or Left-Wing Extremists who are ready to shun violence.

On killing of four BSF personnel in an IED blast/ambush by the CPI(Maoist) on February 10 in Malkangiri district of Odisha, he said the state police was investigating the matter.

Ex-gratia compensation of Rs 15 lakh is paid to the next of kin of personnel of Central Armed Police Force killed in action. Besides, the central government under the security related expenditure scheme grants ex-gratia payment of Rs 3 lakh.

State governments have their own policies for payment of the ex-gratia to the families of security personnel killed.