Lok Sabha Question No. 3180 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-08
Subject: Naxalite Activities
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Dhal Singh Bisen

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3180

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 8 TH  AUGUST, 2023/ SRAVANA 17, 1945 (SAKA)

NAXALITE ACTIVITIES

†3180. DR. DHAL SINGH BISEN:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether there has been a decrease in naxalite activities and violence due to action taken against naxalism during the last five years;

(b) if so, the details of measures taken in this regard along with the details of assistance/facilities and works etc. provided to the affected districts of Maharashtra  and  Balaghat,  Mandla,  Dindori  districts  of  Madhya  Pradesh; and

(c) the present status of ongoing schemes and works therein?

ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a to c)

(i) As  per  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution  of  India,  subjects  of Police and Public Order are with the State Governments. However, the Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts of States affected  by  left  wing  extremism.  To  address  the  issue  of  Left  Wing Extremism  (LWE)  holistically,  a  National  Policy  and  Action  Plan  to address    Left    Wing    Extremism  (LWE)  was    approved    in  2015.  It envisages    a   multi-pronged     strategy     involving   security    related

measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc. While on security front, the Central Government  assists  the  LWE  affected  State  Government  by  providing Central  Armed  Police  Forces  battalions,  training,  provision  of  funds through schemes like Security Related Expenditure (SRE) and Special Infrastructure  Scheme  (SIS),  funds  for  modernization  of  State  police forces,  equipment  &  arms,  sharing  of  intelligence,  construction  of Fortified Police Stations etc; on development side, the Central Government  has  taken  various  measures  including  construction  of roads, installation of mobile towers, improving network of banks, post offices, health and education facilities in the LWE areas.

(ii) Under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme  funds are provided  to  LWE  affected  states  for  capacity  building  of  the  States through provisions of ex-gratia to the family of civilian/security forces killed in LWE violence, training and operational needs of security forces, rehabilitation of surrendered LWE cadre, community policing, compensation to security force personnel/civilians for property damage by left wing extremists, etc. Under the scheme, funds are not released district-wise but state-wise. Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori districts of

Madhya  Pradesh  and  Gadchiroli  district  of  Maharashtra  are  covered under  the  scheme.  Rs.1485  crore  have  been  released  to  the  LWE affected states in last 05 years. This includes Rs.14.05 crore for Madhya Pradesh and Rs.91.63 crore for Maharashtra.

- (iii) Under  Special  Infrastructure  Scheme  (SIS),  funds  are  provided  to States for the following purposes:
- i. Strengthening  of  their  Special  Forces  (SFs)  Special  Intelligence Branches (SIBs) for LWE operations only.
- ii. Strengthening/construction of Fortified Police Stations.
- iii. Strengthening of district police.

Under the scheme, funds are not released district-wise but state- wise. Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori districts of Madhya Pradesh and Gadchiroli district  of  Maharashtra  are  covered  under  the  scheme.  A  total  of Rs.324.90  crore  have  been  released  to  the  LWE  affected  states  since 2018-19.    This  include  Rs.0.71  crore  for  Madhya  Pradesh  and  Rs.12.85 crore for Maharashtra.

(iv) To give further impetus for development in the most LWE affected districts,  funds  are  provided  to  the  States  under  'Special  Central Assistance (SCA)' to fill the  critical  gaps  in  public  infrastructure  and

services.    Rs.3120.74  crore    has  been  released  to  the  States  since 2018-19. The details of funds (in Rs.crore)  released to the districts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are as under:

| State                    |   Funds released |
|--------------------------|------------------|
| Balaghat (MP)            |            20    |
| Mandla (MP)              |             2.5  |
| Gadchiroli (Maharashtra) |            69.88 |

(v) On development front, apart from flagship schemes of Government of  India  (GoI)  has  taken  several  specific  initiatives  in  LWE  affected States,  with  special  thrust  on  expansion  of  road  network,  improving Telecom connectivity, skill development and financial inclusion:

- -For expansion of road network, 13234 km  roads have been constructed. Of which 250 km of roads in Madhya Pradesh and 869 km in Maharashtra have been constructed.
- -To improve telecom connectivity, 2343 mobile towers are installed in  phase-I  of  the  Mobile  Tower  Project.  Of  which  22  in  Madhya Pradesh     and     65     in     Maharashtra     have     been     installed.

- -Under phase-II of the Mobile Tower Project, 2542 Mobile Towers are under installation. Of these, 23 are for Madhya Pradesh and 125 are for  Maharashtra.    In  additional  to  this,  05  more  towers  have  been approved for Madhya Pradesh in May, 2023.
- -For financial inclusion of the local populace in these areas 927 Bank Branches (Maharashtra 81), 944 ATMs (Maharashtra 42) and 27513 Banking Correspondents (Maharashtra 699) in 30 Most LWE Affected Districts since April-2015.
- -4903 new Post Offices in 90 districts have been opened during last 08 years. Of these 511 are opened in Madhya Pradesh and 829 are opened in Maharashtra.
- -For  skill  development  43  ITIs  (Madhya  Pradesh-  01)  and  38  Skill Development Centres (SDCs) (Madhya Pradesh- 02) have been made functional in LWE affected districts.
- -For quality education in tribal blocks of LWE affected districts 125 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been  made functional in 90 LWE affected districts, of which 11 are in Madhya Pradesh and 09 are in Maharashtra.
- (vi) Steadfast  implementation  of  this  policy  has  resulted  in  consistent decline in LWE violence across the nation. The  number  of  LWE related

violent  incidents  have  come  down  by  76%  in  2022  in  comparison  of high  of  2010.  The  number  of  resultant  deaths  (Security  Forces  + Civilians) have also reduced by 90% from all time high of 1005 in 2010 to 98 in 2022. Details of LWE violence in LWE affected States during the last five years (year-wise) are as under: -

| Parameter/Year                       |   2018 |   2019 |   2020 | 2021       | 2022       | 2023 (till July 15)   |
|--------------------------------------|--------|--------|--------|------------|------------|-----------------------|
| Incidents                            |    833 |    670 |    665 | 361* 148** | 413* 118** | 273* 63**             |
| Deaths (Civilians & Security Forces) |    240 |    202 |    183 | 147        | 98         | 79                    |

* Incidents perpetrated by Left Wing Extremists

** Incidents Initiated by Security Forces

From  2022,  the  data  is  maintained  separately  for  number  of  incidents perpetrated  by  Left  Wing  Extremists  &  Incidents  initiated  by  Security Forces.

(vii) The geographical spread of LWE violence has also been constricted and the districts reporting violence also reduced from 96 (2010) to 45 (2022).

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