Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised the Chhattisgarh government on Monday for its effective efforts in tackling Naxalism. He highlighted the significant achievements in the state, including the elimination of 194 Naxalites, the arrest of 801 individuals, and the surrender of 742 since January.
During a review meeting with Chief Ministers of states affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) at Vigyan Bhavan, Union Home Minister Amit Shah urged Naxalite youth to abandon their weapons and reintegrate into mainstream society. He pointed out that nearly 13,000 individuals have successfully made this transition in the northeastern states and Jammu and Kashmir.
"I congratulate the Chief Minister, Home Minister, DGP and the entire team of Chhattisgarh. Since January, 194 Naxalites have been killed, 801 Naxalites have been arrested and 742 Naxalites have surrendered. I appeal to all the youth associated with Naxalism to leave the weapons and come in mainstream. Whether it is northeast or JK, almost 13000 have left the weapon and joined the mainstream," the Home Minister said.
Shah credited the advancements in combating Naxalism to the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, which experienced a significant funding boost, increasing from ₹1,180 crore between 2004 and 2014 to ₹3,006 crore from 2014 to 2024. Additionally, the Special Central Assistance Scheme has allocated ₹3,590 crore over the past decade to support these efforts.
"Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, Rs 1180 crore was spent on this scheme from 2004-2014, while from 2014-2024 we have spent Rs 3,006 crore which is almost three times. SRE is the main scheme which contribute to the development work in the Naxal affected areas. Under the Special Central Assistance Scheme, we have spent Rs 3590 crore in the last ten years," he said.