The Union Home Ministry has heightened use of UAVs and CCTV surveillance in insurgency pockets of Chhattisgarh, the Central Government has informed. There is also enhanced co-ordination with the State Police and undertaking intelligence based joint operations, it informed.
Mechanisms like Joint Command and Control Centres at district level have been devised for better coordination and control amongst the various agencies involved in operation.
Notably, Chhattisgarh is now India’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 this year.
On May 8 review meeting of lWE affected states this year, 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.
Centre has taken various steps with this objective, so that the confidence in the Centre 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 said.
Notably, as many as 259 battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were deployed in Chhattisgarh’s left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected regions as on 2015-16.
The deployment in other states was as follows — Andhra Pradesh ( 16), Telangana (12), Bihar (57), Jharkhand (144), Madhya Pradesh (8), Maharashtra (34), Odisha (102), Uttar Pradesh (6), West Bengal (53). A total of 691 battalions of CAPF were deployed across the country in lWE areas as on 2015-16, officials stated.
Deployment of CAPFs is a dynamic process and keeps on changing from time to time depending upon the requirements projected by the State as well as demands of other lWE affected states, availability of force and security situation in the particular State, they stated.
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 States are considered as left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected. Of these, Bihar 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.
Apart from the above, it is worth mentioning that the numbers of incidents of lWE violence and resultant deaths have also significantly declined during the last four years from 2011 to 2014, officials stated.
The Union Cabinet under the Chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved raising of four 'India Reserve Battalions' (IR Bns) for Chhattisgarh State to be deployed in left Wing Extremism (lWE) pockets of the State.
The Union Cabinet announced to raise a total of 17 India Reserve Battalions (IR Bns) for Jammu & Kashmir and left Wing Extremism (lWE) affected States, officials stated.
It includes five IR Bns in the State of J&K, three IR Bns in Jharkhand, three IR Bns in Odisha and two IR Bns in Maharashtra including four for Chhattisgarh.
A total of 48 security force personnel and 45 civilians lost their lives in insurgency-infested Bastar region of Chhattisgarh during 2015-16, the Union Home Ministry has informed.
Notably, a total of 413 left Wing Extremist (lWE) cadres surrendered in 2014 as compared to 28 lWE cadres in 2013.
During 2015-16, 317 lWE cadres surrendered in Bastar region. In 2016 (upto April 15), 541 lWE cadres surrendered in Bastar region as compared to 65 surrenders in the corresponding period of 2015.
The CRPF troopers deployed in left Wing Extremism districts of Chhattisgarh killed as many as 17 Maoists in various encounters during financial year 2015-16 as on December 16, 2015, a Union Home Ministry data revealed.
A total of 208 Maoists had surrendered before the CRPF personnel during the aforesaid period in which eight of them carried rewards on their heads, it mentioned.
There had been 137 occasions of exchange of fire between the CRPFpersonnel and Maoists during the period in the lWE pockets of Chhattisgarh, the data mentioned.
The CRPF units recovered explosives weighing a total of 1141.5 kgs during the past five years between 2010 to 2015 ( as on December 16, 2015) in left Wing Extremism (lWE) districts of Chhattisgarh.
During the aforesaid period, CRPF troopers also unearthed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) weighing a total of 1133.25 kgs in State’s red zones, officials stated.
With a view to improving quality of education delivery in insurgency-infested Bastar region, the Chhattisgarh Government has decided to introduce hi-tech tools for imparting education in Science, Mathematics and English in Government primary schools.
The Government would be using audio-visual equipment in the schools while also introducing a number of ‘self learning modules’, officials informed.
It may be recalled that the Chhattisgarh government had also earlier conveyed to Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Jawadekar that proposals for the opening of schools in insurgency-infested Baster region had been pending for a long time with the Union Government.
The message was conveyed by State Forest Minister Mahesh Gagda who met Union Human Resources Minister Prakash Jawadekar in New Delhi .
He had requested the Union Minister to sanction 'Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya' and Kendriya Vidyalaya' at remote Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh.
The district adjoins Telangana and Maharsahtra States. It is a very backward and remote district. The district is insurgency affected and lags in developmental activities.
It may be recalled that the State Government also is preparing a masterplan to construct 500-seater hostels in all the 85 tribal development blocks during the next three years.
The sanctions are meant for 250-seater hostels for tribal boys and 250-seater hostels for girls. Twenty-eight Development blocks had already been selected for the purpose. The hostels will provide accommodation to about 42,000 tribal students.
School Education Minister Kedar Kashyap had stated earlier that on the directives of Chief Minister Raman Singh a master plan is on the anvil to make education accessible to the depressed castes and classes.
15 development blocks in 13 districts had been identified for constructing the hostels.The blocks selected are in districts of Gariabandh , Rajnandgaon, Koriya, Raigarh, Balrampur-Ramanujganj, Surajpur, Bastar, Kondagaon , Narayanpur , South Bastar (Dantewada) , Sukma , Bijapur and North Bastar (Kanker).
The State Government is also preparing a master plan to construct 500-seater hostels in all the 85 tribal development blocks during the next three years.
The sanctions are meant for 250-seater hostels for tribal boys and 250-seater hostels for girls. Twenty-eight Development blocks had already been selected for the purpose. The hostels will provide accommodation to about 42,000 tribal students.