Central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) have met home minister P Chidambaram to discuss the security issues in light of the 48-hour bandh by Maoists in five states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal.
The meeting between Chidambaram, Standing Committee of Public Enterprises? chairman Arup Roy Choudhury and senior officials of CPSUs took place on Tuesday at North Block. Choudhury is understood to have discussed the impact of the bandh on the CPSUs, considering many of them have their establishments in the five states.
Sources in the know said that Choudhury also suggested strict measures against the Maoists to ensure safety of the people and material in these establishments. The five states are home to business establishments of big companies like SAIL and NTPC.
These states also have coal mines that are allotted to corporate houses for power generation and other purposes. The minister of state (independent charge), Sriprakash Jaiswal, has also expressed concern over the security situation in these states. ?There are security concerns in these states. Something needs to be done to resolve those concerns,? he had said while unveiling the 100-day agenda of his ministry last week.
The banned CPI (Maoists) had called a 48-hour bandh starting Monday to protest against the armed action against the Maoists by security forces, affecting transportation, telephone services and businesses. The total loss to the industry is expected to be around Rs 200 crore only in Jharkhand, which is home to coal mines and other industrial establishments.
After about a week-long fight, Central reserve police force (CRPF), border security force and West Bengal policemen recaptured the Lalgarh police station along with 17 more villages that were held by the Maoists.
