THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has included Wayanad in the ‘district of concern’ category under its Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to spearhead its action plan against left wing extremism (LWE) in the country.
The move comes following intelligence reports by central and state agencies regarding the presence and activities of armed maoist cadre in the district’s forest areas. Its inclusion in SCA scheme means Wayanad will, starting this year, receive a total of Rs 40 crore until 2026 (Rs 10 crore per year).
Already, Wayanad, along with Palakkad and Malappuram, is counted among ‘LWE-affected districts’ under the Centre’s Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, which primarily focuses on catering to the security needs of states to deal with LWE.
The non-inclusion of the other two districts in the SCA scheme is a breather for the state. It also suggests that the Maoist cadre pose minimal threat in the two districts and that Kerala’s fight against LWE has borne fruit.
‘Leaders’ arrest, police vigil hit Maoists hard’
The MHA had introduced the categories ‘district of concern’ and ‘most-affected LWE districts’ last year to distribute funds under SCA scheme, which aims to fill development void in areas affected by Left extremism. The ‘most-affected’ districts are those that witness large-scale violence, while the other category includes geographical areas that can be targeted by extremists.
The state had featured in the list for the first time in 2018. Presence of armed ‘dalams’/ battalions, active Maoist frontal organisations and organisational consolidation of the ‘red radicals’ were reasons cited for including the three Kerala districts in SRE scheme.
Wayanad district police chief R Anand said arrests of several top Maoist leaders dealt a heavy blow to the movement. “Following the encounter deaths in Palakkad and elsewhere, Maoist movement has been crippled in Kerala. Sustained policing resulted in the surrender of a People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) leader in Wayanad. Vigil maintained by the police led to the Maoist movement losing steam in the state. We have recorded only six Maoist sightings in Wayanad this year,” Anand said.