Amit Shah Lauds Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Naxal Efforts, 194 Naxals Neutralized Since January

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in a key review meeting with chief ministers of states affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), highlighted Chhattisgarh’s significant achievements in curbing Naxalite activity. Shah disclosed that, since January, 194 Naxals have been neutralized, 801 arrested, and 742 have surrendered in the state. He praised the efforts of the Chhattisgarh government, police force, and other security agencies in their anti-Naxal operations.

Shah emphasized the need for Naxals to lay down their arms and join the mainstream, citing successful examples from Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, where nearly 13,000 militants have surrendered and embraced the path of peace. “I appeal to all the youth associated with Naxalism to leave the weapons and come into the mainstream,” he said, encouraging those still involved in extremist activities to abandon violence.

During the meeting, Shah also presented the increasing support provided to the Naxal-affected areas under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, noting a significant increase in funding. Between 2004-2014, ₹1,180 crore was allocated, but under the current government, this figure rose to ₹3,006 crore for the 2014-2024 period. Additionally, he mentioned that ₹3,590 crore has been spent under the Special Central Assistance Scheme over the past decade, further bolstering development efforts in Naxal-hit regions.

The Home Minister also highlighted progress in infrastructure development in these areas, mentioning the expansion of road networks, construction of fortified police stations, and improvements in mobile connectivity. He shared that in the last ten years, 544 fortified police stations have been built, the road network has grown from 2,900 km to 11,500 km, and over 15,300 mobile towers have been installed, with more than 5,000 of them upgraded to 4G connections.

Shah also drew attention to advancements in education, revealing that 216 Eklavya Model Residential Schools were approved under the current government, of which 165 have been completed. This is a marked contrast to the pre-2014 period, during which 38 schools were sanctioned but none were built.

Shah’s remarks come as part of the government’s broader commitment to eradicating Naxalism through a combination of security measures and development initiatives. The minister also mentioned that the number of helicopters available to assist security forces in these regions has increased from two before 2019 to 12 at present.