New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS): Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here and urged him to 'generate more employment opportunities in the Bastar region to uproot Naxal problems'.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister also discussed issues of increasing telecom facilities in the Maoist affected regions and the deployment of two more CRPF battalions in Bastar. The Home Minister assured immediate action on the same.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister said, "Iron ore is available in abundance in the Bastar region and if iron ore is made available at 30 per cent discount to steel plants to be set up in Bastar, then investment of hundreds of crores and thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities will be created. "

He said that the grid power has not yet reached the large parts due to the difficult geographical areas. With the establishment of a large number of solar power plants, it is possible to meet the energy needs of the people and their economic Development.

The Chief Minister requested the Centre for grant to make cold chains for arranging the processing and sale of minor forest produce, forest medicines and several types of horticultural crops in the forest areas and demanded a sum of at least Rs 50 crore each year to be allotted to collectors for the development of livelihood in all the seven aspiring districts of Bastar region of the state.

The Chief Minister urged him not to privatise the NMDC for the sake of the development of Bastar, to which the Home Minister assured that he will consider the request and also discussed issues related to the livelihood generation, development of banks, roads and infrastructure in the Maoist-hit areas.

A meeting of the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and officials of Chhattisgarh in Raipur has also been scheduled soon to discuss various issues.