Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday (October 7, 2024) that so far 14 top Naxal leaders have been killed and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is on its last legs. The Minister said that LWE violence is restricted to 16 districts now, compared to 96 districts earlier. The number of police stations reporting violence has also come down to 171 from 465.
He said the success is the result of joint efforts of all the States and the Central government.
Mr. Shah said that by March 2026, with everyone’s cooperation, the country will be completely free from this decades-old menace. “85% of the LWE cadre strength in Chhattisgarh has been eliminated, and now the need is to deliver a final blow to Naxalism,” he said.
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The Union Minister chaired a review meeting with the Chief Ministers of LWE-affected States on Monday. While Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Telangana were represented by their Chief Ministers, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh were represented by their Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister respectively.
Mr. Shah praised the efforts of Chhattisgarh government for its success in combating Naxalism. “Since January 2024, a total of 237 Naxalites have been killed, 812 arrested, and 723 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. I appeal to the youth involved in Naxalism to abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream of society to contribute to the country’s development,” he said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told reporters that his government was studying Assam government’s policy on surrendered insurgents before finalising a fresh rehabilitation document for surrendered Naxal cadres in the State.
“We are considering allotment of houses under PM-Awas Yojana to the surrendered Naxalites,” Mr. Sai said.
Mr. Shah said that for the first time in 30 years, the number of casualties due to LWE violence was under 100 in 2022.
He said that in one year, more than 194 security camps were established leading to significant success. He said that the filling of security vacuums through 45 police stations, strengthening State intelligence branches, and the excellent performance of State special forces contributed to the success of the strategy.
“The provision of helicopters has drastically reduced the number of casualties among our troops. Earlier, there were only two helicopters deployed for the service of the forces, but today, 12 helicopters, six from BSF and six from the Air Force, are operational,” he said.
Mr. Shah said that Special Central Assistance is a new scheme under which the Modi government has spent ₹3,590 crore in the last 10 years. He said that a total of ₹14,367 crore has been approved so far, out of which ₹12,000 crore has been spent.
He said that 66 fortified police stations had been built between 2004 and 2014, whereas 544 fortified police stations have been built between 2014 to 2024.
Published - October 07, 2024 11:39 am IST
