Days after Naxalites ambushed CRPF personnel in Gadchiroli, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh in a letter to Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has sought empowering gram sabhas in the district with rights to market forest produce, including lucrative bamboo used in making paper. Mr Ramesh said that war against Maoists can not be won by battalions alone and, hence, gram sabhas should be strengthened to win local support against Naxals.