Soren for talks with Maoists

Making a fresh offer of talks with the Maoists, the Jharkhand government today said that the state's Naxal policy would be reviewed.

"We are ready for talks. They should shun violence and tell us what they want. Do they want to run the government? If so, how? They should come forward for talks," Soren told a joint press conference with cabinet ministers Raghuvar Das and Sudesh Mahto.

Mahto, who had introduced a Naxal policy when he was the home minister in the the Arjun Munda government in 2005, said the government would review it.

On acquisition of land for industry, Soren said there should be a good rehabilitation package. "See, how people lost their land and did not get compensation after the setting up of the HEC (Heavy Engineering Corporation). We would like to have a policy, which will give housing, employment and monetary benefits. They (land donors) should not suffer any loss," Soren said.

The government would review earlier compensation package, while NREGA would be made more effective and BPL citizens would be given 35 kilogram rice per month at the minimum possible price, Soren said.

In its manifesto, the BJP had promised to provide rice and wheat to Below Poverty Line families at Re1 per kg and salt at 25paise per kg.