There has been a significant decrease of 36 per cent in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Naxal (Maoist) related violence incidents in the year 2022 in comparison to 2018, informed the Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, December 05.
Responding to a query from a legislator, Rai said the number of resultant deaths of the security forces and civilians in this violence has decreased by 59 per cent. In Chhattisgarh, the Maoist-related incidents have dropped by 22 per cent while the number of resultant deaths decreased by 60 per cent, informed the union minister.
Further, the union minister said that the overall incident of violence dipped by 76 percent in 2022 in comparison to the all-time high of 2010. The number of resultant deaths has also reduced by 90 percent to 98 in 2022 in comparison to an all-time high of 1005 in 2010.
Speaking about the geographical spread of the LWE related violence, the union minister informed us that the number of districts affected by the Maoist violence have been reduced to 45 in 2022 as compared to 96 in 2010.
“A National Policy and Action Plan to address the LWE was approved in 2015 which envisages a multi-pronged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, and ensuring the rights and entitlements of local communities”, added Rai.
Further, the Union minister said that “ While on the security front, the central government assists the LWE-affected state governments by providing Central Armed Police Forces battalions, training, and the provision of funds through schemes like Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), funds for modernization of state police forces, equipment and arms, sharing of intelligence, and the construction of fortified police stations on development side
The central government has taken various measures, including the construction of roads, the installation of mobile towers, and improving the network of banks, post offices, health, and education facilities in the LWE areas, he added.
The minister further explained that under the SRE scheme, funds are provided to LWE- affected states for capacity building of the states through the provision of ex gratia to the families of civilians and security forces killed in LWE violence, training and operational needs of security forces, rehabilitation of surrendered LWE cadre, community policing, compensation to security force personnel and civilians for property damage by Left wing extremists.
A total of Rs 1,648.23 crore have been so far released to the Maoist-affected states under the said scheme since 2018-19. This includes Rs. 587.96 cr released for Chhattisgarh. Further under Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), works of Rs 969.80 cr have been sanctioned for strengthening of the Special Forces, Special Intelligence Branches and district police since 2017-18 for LWE affected states, which includes works for Rs 276.20 cr for Chhattisgarh, added Mr.Rai.
In the end the MoS, Rai informed that a total of 704 Fortified Police Station (FPS), including 148 for Chhattisgarh have been sanctioned for LWE- affected states. Of these 603, FPSs including 120 in Chhattisgarh have been constructed. The minister concluded by informing that out of the 603 FPSs, 537 FPSs have been constructed after May 2014.
(With inputs from ANI)
