Amit Shah holds meeting with CMs of Naxal-hit States
A high-level meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah with Chief Ministers of Naxal-affected States on Sunday decided to intensify the anti-Naxal operations and choke the flow of funds to them.
The three-hour-long meeting with Chief Ministers from six States and top officials of four States also discussed actions to be taken against the frontal organisations of the Maoists, filling up the security vacuum, concerted action by the Enforcement Directorate, the National Investigation Agency and the State police.
The Chief Ministers who attended the meeting were Naveen Patnaik (Odisha), K Chandrashekar Rao (Telangana), Nitish Kumar (Bihar), Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), Uddhav Thackeray (Maharashtra) and Hemant Soren (Jharkhand), official sources said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bhupesh Baghel of Chhattisgarh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan did not attend the meeting. Their States were represented by senior officials.
According to sources, focused investigation and prosecution of cases, action against front organisations, coordination amongst States, capacity building of State intelligence branches and special forces of the States, construction of fortified police stations were other issues discussed at the meeting.
The Union Home Minister reviewed the security situation and ongoing operations against Maoists and development projects being carried out in the Naxalism-affected areas, the sources said.
Shah took stock of the requirements of the States, the strength of forces deployed to tackle the extremists, development works like the construction of roads, bridges, schools, and health centres being carried out in Naxal-hit areas.