Naxal affected regions constricted to 38 districts by April 2024: MHA to Lok Sabha

New Delhi [India], August 6 (ANI): The geographical spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) violence has substantially reduced from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts in nine states by April 2024, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,

Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal are among the nine states where naxalism is restricted, informed Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply to the query of Bharatiya Janata Party MP Satish Kumar Gautam.

Rai shared data that shows that maximum of 15 districts from Chhattisgarh–Bijapur, Bastar, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Kanker, Kondagaon, Mahasamund, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Mohalla-Manpur- Ambagarh chowki, Khairgarh- ChhuikhadanGandai, Sukma, Kabirdham and Mungeli–are now affected by the naxism menace, followed by seven districts of Odisha namely Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabrangpur, Nuapada and Rayagada.

As per the data, naxalism is only restricted to five districts (Giridih, Gumla, Latehar, Lohardaga and West Singhbhum) of Jharkhand as well as three districts (Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori) of Madhya Pradesh.

The LWE regions are limited to just two districts in Kerala (Wayanad and Kannur), two districts in Maharashtra (Gadchiroli and Gondia), and two districts in Telangana (Bhadradri-Kothagudem and Mulugu).

Additionally, the naxal-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are restricted to just one district each in Alluri Sitaramraju and Jhargram, respectively.

The MoS gave credit of the significant achievement to the Central government’s

The national policy and action plan approved in 2015 to address the LWE menace

Rai said that the policy envisaged a multi-pronged strategy involving security-related measures, development interventions, and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities.

“The resolute implementation of the policy has resulted in consistent decline in violence and constriction of geographical spread,” said Rai in writing.

The LWE violence incidents have decreased by 73% from their high level.

violence incidents in 2010, said the MoS, adding “the resultant deaths (security forces and civilians) have reduced by 86 per cent from all-time high of 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023.

“In the current year 2024 (up to June 30, 2024), there has been a sharp reduction of 32 per cent in LWE-perpetrated incidents and 17 per cent in the resultant deaths of civilians and security force personnel in comparison to the figures for corresponding period of 2023.”

He further said that the number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 police stations of 96 districts in 2010 to 171 police stations across 42 districts in 2023.

In 2024 (up to June 2024), LWE violence is reported from 89 police stations across 30 districts, according to the MoS.