Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced significant strides in combating Naxalism in Chhattisgarh during a review meeting with chief ministers of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected states on Monday. Since January, 194 Naxals have been neutralized, 801 arrested, and 742 have surrendered.
Shah urged remaining Naxals to abandon their weapons and reintegrate into society, citing nearly 13,000 individuals in the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir who have done so. “I commend the Chief Minister, Home Minister, DGP, and the entire team of Chhattisgarh for their efforts,” he stated.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to development in affected areas, Shah shared that funding for the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme has nearly tripled—from ₹1,180 crore between 2004-2014 to ₹3,006 crore from 2014-2024. “The SRE scheme is crucial for developmental work in Naxal-affected regions. Additionally, ₹3,590 crore has been allocated under the Special Central Assistance Scheme over the past decade,” he noted.
He also mentioned improvements in resources for security forces, stating that the number of helicopters deployed has increased from two to twelve, including six from the Border Security Force (BSF) and six from the Air Force.
Shah highlighted infrastructure advancements, including the establishment of 544 fortified police stations and an increase in the road network from 2,900 km to 11,500 km over the last decade. Furthermore, 15,300 mobile towers have been installed, with 5,139 now equipped with 4G connectivity.
In education, Shah revealed that while only 38 Eklavya model schools were approved before 2014, a total of 216 have been approved now, with 165 already constructed. He added that ₹1,000 crore has been allocated for air support efforts and ₹131 crore for a trauma center in Jagdalpur.
Shah emphasized the government’s ongoing commitment to eradicating Naxalism and fostering development in affected regions.
