Andhra Pradesh government willing to hold talks with Maoists

Hyderabad: Deputy Chief Minister-cum-home minister N. Chinna Rajappa on Sunday said AP  was open for talks with the Maoists and appealed to them to come back into the mainstream. After assuming charge at the AP Secretariat, the minister said maintaining law and order would be the top priority. Red sanders smugglers would be dealt with strictly. “We want peace to prevail and the state to be developed into Swarnaandhrapradesh,” he said.

Stating that protection and safety of women would also be among the priorities, he said there was a proposal to set up women protection cells in all the mandals and also at the state level. Each cell would have a doctor, an advocate and a lawyer.

Helplines will be put in place to respond to the calls from women in distress. Women empowerment and child welfare minister Peethala Sujatha, after assuming charge, signed her first file on launching an awareness campaign on women’s rights and various Acts. She also promised speedy disposal of cases victimising women.