Home Minister to review security of eight Naxal-hit states tomorrow

Home Minister Amit Shah will chair a crucial review meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected states on October 7. The states participating in the meeting include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The chief ministers of these states will be present to discuss strategies for preventing the spread of Naxal violence and review the progress of ongoing development projects in these regions.

Senior officials from five central ministries involved in development efforts in the LWE-affected states will also take part in the discussions.

In the first nine months of 2024, significant progress has been made in combating Naxal insurgency. A total of 202 Naxals have been killed, 812 extremists arrested, and 723 have surrendered. These figures reflect the intensified efforts to curb Naxal activities.

Shah last chaired a review meeting on October 6, 2023, where he directed authorities to completely eliminate Naxalism. Since 2010, Naxal-related violence has decreased by 72 per cent, with deaths due to such violence reduced by 86 per cent. As of 2024, only 38 districts remain affected by Naxal violence across the country, showcasing the progress made in restoring peace to these regions.

The meeting will focus on both security and development measures in these regions. Meanwhile, after the intense encounter on October 4, 31 Maoist bodies have been recovered, and a search operation continues, according to police sources. Bastar Inspector General P Sundarraj confirmed that additional reinforcements from the CRPF and District Reserve Guard (DRG) have been deployed to the site.

Recovered weapons include an LMG rifle, AK-47, SLR, INSAS, and Calibre .303 rifles. One DRG jawan was injured during the encounter but is reported to be out of danger.