A total of 31 Maoists were nabbed by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers in Bastar during the month of March this year, the latest CRPF data has informed.
CRPF troopers involved in anti-insurgency operations in Bastar region had recovered a total of 17 Improvised Explosive Devices ( IEDs) including eight from Sukma district planted by Maoists during the past three months as per the records available with CRPF's Central Zone.
A total of 78 IEDs were recovered by CRPF personnel weighing 459 kgs as on April 6, 2017 during 2017-18 from insurgency hit pockets of Bastar region in Chhattisgarh, a data of Union Home Ministry had revealed.
CRPF recovered 14 IEDs planted by Maoists with total weight of 82 kgs during its anti-insurgency operations in various districts of Bastar during the month of November last year, the CRPF monthly action data had informed.
Chhattisgarh is among other insurgency infested states where highest 38 CRPF troopers were martyred in 15 incidents of Maoist attacks during the past six months as on June, 30, 2017.
During the period , incidents of Maoists attacks in other insurgency infested states are as follows- Andhra Pradesh (1), Bihar (3), Jharkhand (4), Maharashtra (8) and Odisha (1). The Central Government has a comprehensive National Policy and a multi-pronged action plan to deal with left Wing Extremism comprising of security related measures, developmental interventions and ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc, the Central Government has informed.
Notably, Chhattisgarh stands fourth in the country in terms of the number of districts affected by left Wing Extremism (lWE).
A total of 106 districts in the country are considered as left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected. Of these, Bihar State has maximum 22 districts, followed by Jharkhand (21), Odisha(19), Chhattisgarh (16), Andhra Pradesh and Telangana,- both 8 each, West Bengal and Maharashtra,- both 4 each, Uttar Pradesh,- 3 and Madhya Pradesh, one.
The CRPF in June 2017 had also decided to procure a highly sophisticated Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system for its anti-insurgency operations in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.
Notably, Chhattisgarh had become the country’s key paramilitary force station in the Central sector in the aftermath of the martyrdom of 25 CRPF troopers in Sukma in a Maoist ambush in Bastar on May 24 last year.
On May 8 , last year review meeting of lWE affected states , Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had stated in his address : “You will all agree that in addition to the various facets of security, the socio-economic empowerment of the people at large is essential so that the public support stays with the Government."
It is necessary for States to work on a coordinated strategy of security and development so that the confidence of the public in the democratic process is maintained in the lWE affected areas, he had stated.
Our Government (Centre) has taken various steps with this objective, so that the confidence in our Government has grown in the minds of the tribals and others living in the lWE affected areas. They are coming forward to avail the benefits of Government Schemes, Singh had stated.
Notably, as many as 259 battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in Chhattisgarh’s left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected regions during 2015-16.