Union Home Minister Amit Shah will review anti-Naxal operations during a two-day visit to Chhattisgarh beginning August 24.
Shah will meet with police chiefs and chief secretaries from neighboring states affected by Naxal insurgency.
The annual review will focus on evaluating and enhancing strategies to tackle the challenges posed by Naxal activities.
On August 25, the Home Minister will inaugurate Raipur Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) office following a review meeting in the morning. The Home Minister will also chair a meeting on the expansion of Cooperation in Chhattisgarh on August 24.
The anti-Naxal meeting is significant at a time when, as per the Home Ministry’s latest data, the geographical spread of LWE violence has substantially fallen with a reduction of LWE-affected districts from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts in 2024 (with effect from April-2024) across nine states: Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal.
MHA’s data reveals that maximum of 15 districts from Chhattisgarh–Bijapur, Bastar, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Kanker, Kondagaon, Mahasamund, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Mohalla-Manpur- Ambagarh chowki, Khairgarh- ChhuikhadanGandai, Sukma, Kabirdham and Mungeli–are now affected with Naxaism menace, followed by seven districts of Odisha namely Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada.
As per the data, naxalism is only restricted to five districts (Giridih, Gumla, Latehar, Lohardaga and West Singhbhum) of Jharkhand as well as three districts (Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori) of Madhya Pradesh. The LWE regions are limited to just two districts in Kerala (Wayanad and Kannur), two districts in Maharashtra (Gadchiroli and Gondia), and two districts in Telangana (Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu). Additionally, the naxal-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are restricted to just one district each in Alluri Sitaramraju and Jhargram, respectively.
The MHA data was shared by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in Parliament in the recently concluded Budget Session, informing that the credit for the significant achievement goes to the central government’s national policy and action plan approved in 2015 to address the LWE menace.
The LWE violence incidents have reduced by 73 per cent from the high level of LWE violence incidents in 2010, the MoS had said, adding “the resultant deaths (security forces and civilians) have reduced by 86 per cent from the all-time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023.
“In the current year 2024 (up to June 30, 2024), there has been a sharp reduction of 32 per cent in LWE perpetrated incidents and 17 per cent in the resultant deaths of civilians and security force personnel in comparison to the figures for the corresponding period of 2023.”
He further said that the number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 police stations in 96 districts in 2010 to 171 police stations across 42 districts in 2023.
In 2024 (up to June 2024), LWE violence was reported from 89 police stations across 30 districts, the MoS had added.
(ANI)