Jhargram (WB): Calling upon the people in the Maoist-hit Jangalmahal not to get scared, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today asked them to help her government carry out development work in the area, as four Maoists surrendered in her presence.
“I am not scared of anyone. I have come to this position through continuous struggle. I am always with the poor. I am here. If anyone wants to kill me, he can shoot me. I am not afraid,” she said daring the Maoists in their backyard. In an obvious reference to previous Left Front government, Banerjee said, “No Chief Minister or minister had spent night in Jangalmahal after the Maoist menace.
I have visited Jangalmahal four times in seven months.I have spent a night here. I wanted to see with my own eyes the prevailing situation as well as the beauty of the place”. She urged the villagers to cooperate with the process of development initiated by her government and maintain peace.
She was speaking at the concluding programme of Youth festival on the occasion of birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Four Maoists surrendered before the chief minister on the stage. Those who surrendered were Lambodar Majhi, Karan Kaibarta of Baghmundi in Purulia, Bhajahari Mahato and Sukhdev Mahato. The chief minister also gave rehabilitation package offered by the state government to 11 Maoists who had surrendered earlier.
They included Rajaram Soren, Jagari Baske besides, Durjodhan Rajowar, Aatreyi Sahis, Rabi Mandi, Malini Hansda, Baburam Murmu, Rabi Mandi, Dhiren Soren, Laxmi Mandi and Prakash Acharya. Taking a dig at the CPI(M), Banerjee said, “Those who had not done anything for the development of the region or the state are now busy in spreading canards against our government out of jealousy.”
The chief minister said the programmes, announced earlier by her government, were progressing well and lambasted the opposition parties for trying toproject the government in poor light by spreading ‘false information’. Mamata also took a swipe at a section of the media, saying, ”Those writing against her government should know that all development programmes, announced earlier, were in various stages of implementation.”
To establish her point, she then in an unusual act sought corroboration from the bureaucrats, present on the stage, like Chief Secretary Samar Ghosh, Health Secretary Sanjay Mitra, DGP Naparajit Mukherjee and the West Midnapore District Magistrate.
“Actually they are doing this because I have taken action against the directors of AMRI Hospital where a fire disaster claimed 93 lives. They won’t be able to stop me from taking action against offenders. Laws are equal for all,” she said. She, however, welcomed constructive criticism.
She said her government was trying to weed out corruption in the administration to ensure better service to the people.
“Development can’t be done only by talking. You need to work on this. We need to develop youth in the ideals of Swami Viveka-nanda to rebuild Bengal,” Banerjee said. She went on to describe how the Maoist-affected region could be developed into a major tourist hub with locally available resources to attract tourists from different parts of the country. (PTI)