Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, and others attended a meeting of the Inter-State Coordination Committee for Naxal-affected states.
In New Delhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the state’s Bastar and Kondagaon districts, once strongholds of Naxalites, are now completely free of extremists. Operations are ongoing to wipe them out from other areas. Sai shared this information during a meeting with the home minister last night, according to an official release. During the meeting, Sai briefed Shah on the state’s recent successes in anti-Naxal operations and ongoing development initiatives in the Bastar region. The chief minister said in a release that joint efforts by the state government and security forces have led to the elimination of Maoist networks and their various factions in these districts.
There have been no Naxal-related incidents in these now Naxal-free areas for a long time. This success is attributed not only to the continuous efforts of security forces but also to development initiatives like building roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and creating job opportunities. These projects have helped build trust within local communities and reduced the influence of the Maoists, according to the chief minister. He also noted that operations are ongoing in other Naxal-affected districts, with the aim of making them Naxal-free soon. The state government is focusing on rehabilitating surrendered Maoists and families impacted by Naxal violence, he added. Additionally, Sai invited Shah to attend the closing ceremony of the ‘Bastar Olympics’ and the police awards ceremony in Chhattisgarh, which the home minister happily accepted. Sai mentioned that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, the construction of 15,000 houses is currently underway for those affected by Naxal violence. Shah praised the efforts of the Chhattisgarh government and security forces, calling their achievements a “significant step” towards peace and development in the region.