Naxals support govt-run PDS scheme; no attacks since 2008

Sumir Kaul
Raipur, Apr 18 (PTI) The much-criticised public
distribution system is the only fledgling Government scheme
which seems to have escaped the 'red terror' in the dense
forests of Bastar region where Naxal writ runs large.
The PDS which faces flak in the rest of the country for
its loopholes has faced just 33 attacks in last 10 years in
the districts of Bastar, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Bijapur
with none since 2008 and maximum of 25 during the year 2002.
In Chhattisgarh, which remains the hotbed of Naxals in
the country, any other government scheme has failed to break
into the Naxal stronghold as schools, panchayats, hospitals,
bridges, roads are being blown up by left wing extremists, a
senior district administration official in Bastar said.
The scheme has managed to alleviate the sufferings of the
people in the far-flung districts as it provided 35 kilograms
of rice at Re 1 to each member (maximum of four members) of
below poverty line families of this region.
Chief Secretary of the state P Joy Ommen told PTI that
Chhattisgarh has the best PDS system in the country and deaths
from hunger are bare minimum.
Police officials, however feel the scheme has been
successful in the state because of the patronage of the Naxals
who do not want to disturb cheap and effective supply of
rations.
"They (Naxals) are attacking every move of development
made in this region be it roads, schools, panchayat buildings
but they do not touch the ration coming from the PDS. The
reasons are simple, they manage to get away with their share
of this ration from tribals which in turn helps them to
sustain in jungles," a senior police official said.
There are many cases where Naxals come to tribal villages
soon after PDS supply arrives and get a share of ration
supplies from each home, they said.
"Moreover, Naxals do not want to disturb their support
base among tribals by attacking this scheme as it is a major
source of food safety among tribals," said the officials.
When asked whether they are going to take any action
against Naxals who come to collect rations, a senior police
official replied in negative, saying that even the police were
interested in smooth flow of the scheme.
"We do not want to take any action against them getting
away with rations as it will adversely affect the tribal
population which is dependent on it. However, we are keeping a
strict monitoring in the areas where tribal population is rare
so that food supplies do not reach the left wing extremists,"
he said. In few cases where the food was exclusively meant for
Maoists, the items had been intercepted, he said. PTI