Centre support to West Bengal govt in handling Maoist menace

The Centre will extend support to West Bengal government when needed to deal with Maoist menace in the state, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

"The Chief Minister (Mamata Banerjee) is competent enough to handle the situation and as and when she requires support, we will extend that," Mukherjee told the Economic Editors Conference here.

He was responding to a question about Banerjee setting a seven-day deadline for Maoists to disarm themselves and come to the negotiating table. Asked about criticism that development activities were concentrated in Murshidabad, his home district, Mukherjee said it is is the "poorest" district in West Bengal and the whole of India.

"It is also one of the most backward districts. You should understand that setting up a university campus or an MBA institution will benefit the people outside the district as well," he said.