Chief minister Arjun Munda and his colleague Raghubar Das with Longo villagers. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey

Dumuria (East Singhbhum), Aug. 21: Chief minister Arjun Munda today announced a special package of Rs 15 crore for Dumuria, one of the most under-developed blocks of East Singhbhum and the scene of the worst backlash against Naxalites in which villagers butchered nine People’s War guerrillas on August 7.

A sum of Rs 4 crore would be spent on construction of a residential school and the rest of the amount would be utilised for improving basic infrastructure like roads, culverts, drinking water facilities and health centres.

“I have directed the district administration to prepare a detailed list of the needs of the people of this block and submit it to the government as soon as possible so that the sanction can be given,” Munda said. Accompanied by Cabinet colleagues Raghubar Das, who is the building construction minister, and Dinesh Sarangi, in charge of health, and chief secretary A.K. Mishra, Munda visited the tiny hamlet of Longo this morning to meet the people who had taken the war to the extremists on the night of August 7. The chief minister spent about half-an-hour in the nondescript village and took feedback of what happened that day. He also asked the people about the quality of life and whether basic amenities were available.

Addressing a rally at an open field a few kilometres from Longo, Munda urged local youths who had joined the Maoist Communist Centre and PW to disassociate themselves from the rebel outfits. “The government is ready to sit down with the disgruntled youths to hear their problems. But if they think they can force others to toe their line at the point of a gun, they would meet the same fate as those who perished in Longo,” Munda warned.

He appealed to the villagers not to fall into the trap of the extremist groups. “Joining them would serve no purpose. It is only the government that is capable of solving all your problems,” he said. Pointing out that Dumuria had a chequered history during the statehood struggle, Munda claimed that what happened in Longo was proof of how frustrated and angry the villagers were with the rebels.

“For long, the villagers have been suffering as these extremists have been blocking all development work in far-flung areas of Dumuria. On that day, the people gave vent to their pent-up anger and hatred against the Naxalites,” the chief minister said. Munda cautioned the block development officers not to misuse government funds so that schemes were either delayed or completed in a tardy fashion. “The incident at Longo should be an eye-opener even for the corrupt officials. If they can teach the extremists a lesson, the people can also do the same with officials who are not interested in development of villages,” he said.