Lauding the turnaround in Maoist-affected Jangalmahal region, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Monday that the region has turned out to be a ‘unique example before the world’. “In this Jangalmahal region, people were scared to come. They were scared of Maoists,” Ms. Banerjee said, addressing a public meeting at Salboni in Paschim Medinipur district.

Claiming that her government has taken up a lot of developmental activities in the region, she said that the work done here since independence is not ‘even part of what’ has been done by her government over the last three years. “I urge you to maintain peace. I will take care of everything else,” the Chief Minister assured the gathering.

Three districts of Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, and Purulia located in the south-west part of the State were the hotbed of Maoist activities between 2009 and 2011.

The Chief Minister said that the State government had plans to set up eight colleges in the region of which four were inaugurated during the day. She referred to the State government scheme of providing subsidised food grains to all the tribals in Jangalmahal.

“The State government has been ignored in the Railway Budget and the General Budget. We do not want anything from the Centre if they waive our loans,” the Chief Minister said, adding that if the Centre did not do so, the State government would organise a protest against the Centre. She, however, expressed hope that the new government would accept the State’s demands.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Kolkata / by Special Correspondent / Kolkata – July 15th, 2014