NEW DELHI: There has been a steep decline of 43.4% and 60.4 % in incidents of Naxal violence and its resultant deaths respectively during the last five years as compared to the 2009-13, the Home Ministry said on Tuesday.
Responding to questions on Naxal violence in the parliament, the ministry said that Left Wing Extremism (LWE) scenario has been consistently improving over the years both in terms of violence and geographical spread.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs, G Kishan Reddy, informed the Lok Sabha that a total of 8,782 cases of Naxal violence were reported during 2009-13 as against 4,969 during 2014-18, a reduction of 43.4 per cent.
As many as 3,326 people, including security force personnel, lost their lives in 2009-13 as against 1,321 in 2014-18, a reduction of 60.4 per cent, according to the ministry. A total of 1,400 Naxals have been killed between 2009 and 2018. As many as 310 incidents of Naxal violence have been reported in the first five months of this year across the country in which 88 people were killed.
“The central government has followed a holistic, multi-pronged approach for combating LWE. It supplements the efforts of the state governments with a wide range of measures such as security, development of local communities” he said.
The minister said that the Union Transport ministry has been working to improve road connectivity in 34 Naxal affected districts that are spread in nine states.
“Road Requirement Plan-I (RRP-I) envisages construction of 5,422 km roads, of which 4,809 km roads have been completed,” said Reddy.
Reddy cited another scheme being run by the Ministry of Rural Development for improving road connectivity in 44 LWE affected districts across 10 States.
Dipping numbers:
43.4%: reduction in violence involving Naxals.
60.4%: reduction in deaths in Naxal incidents.
8,782: cases of Naxal violence reported during 2009-13.
4,969: incidents of Naxal violence during 2014-18.
3,326: people, including security force personnel, lost their lives in 2009-13.
1,321: people lost their lives in 2014-18.