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Representative image (Photo: Za Rodinu/Creative Commons)
The Centre has allotted Rs 30 crore to Chhattisgarh for modernising state police machinery to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) led by outlawed Maoist groups.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah made the announcement in Chhattisgarh on Saturday following a high-level meeting to review operations against LWE. Shah also chaired a coordination meeting with representatives from Maoist-affected states and said the Centre would provide all necessary assistance to states to intensify operations.
The Chhattisgarh government will receive Rs 30 crore to modernise the police forces combating rebels in the southern regions of the state.
Shah said the government was preparing for a final assault on the rebels, with a well-planned strategy designed to eradicate Maoists from the country by March 2026. While he refrained from disclosing specific details, he said security forces were prepared to neutralise the rebels if they did not surrender.
Chhattisgarh, considered the most severely affected by Maoist violence, will draft a new surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy to encourage rebels to lay down arms and reintegrate into society. “The surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy for Maoists in Chhattisgarh will be revamped,” Shah said, adding that the state has been tasked with formulating the fresh policy within two months.
The revamped policy will offer attractive incentives, giving rebels an opportunity to surrender and lead a peaceful life. “If the rebels continue their armed struggle, security forces will take stringent measures, even pulling them out from hell, and neutralise them,” Shah said.
The Union home minister praised the Vishnu Deo Sai-led government in Chhattisgarh for its success in the anti-Maoist campaign. He said the area under Maoist control had been reduced, with 150 Maoists neutralised and four times as many rebels surrendering in the past eight months, and directed officials to expedite this process further.
He also hinted that agencies were closely monitoring the funding channels of LWE groups and would take steps to cut off their supply lines. Shah urged central and state agencies to work together to break the financial links of Maoists, calling on tax agencies to be vigilant and take action.
First Published: Aug 26 2024 | 3:25 PM IS
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