NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday stressed on the need for Chhattisgarh police and other law enforcement agencies to identify the supporters of left-wing extremism, commonly referred to as ‘urban Naxals‘, and run a thorough check on their finances as part of strategy to choke Maoist funding and deal a final blow to the left-wing extremism (LWE) “eco-system”.
While chairing a high-level review meeting in Raipur on LWE situation – the first after a BJP government was installed in Chhattisgarh, a change likely to help the final battle against Maoists with their influence now limited to a few pockets of the state – Shah mooted a comprehensive plan to eliminate Naxalism from the country within three years. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and the two deputy chief ministers, state DGP, CRPF DG, Intelligence Bureau director and senior officers of the central and state government.
The time-bound action-plan includes further shrinking the geographical area under LWE influence by sending counter-Naxal forces deeper into ‘liberated’ Maoist zones. Once these areas are reclaimed, the forces shall set up camps there to fill the security vacuum and also enable a development and welfare push by the local administration.
Importantly, Shah directed the Chhattisgarh police to ensure comprehensive investigation of LWE cases, closely monitor prosecution, choke Maoists’ finance streams and take forward intelligence-based operations based on verified inputs from the multi-agency centre as the battle against Naxals enters a final and decisive stage.
“There was agreement at the meeting that with a BJP government now in place in Chhattisgarh, coordination among the various counter-Naxal agencies will be better and the time-bound plan to uproot the menace can unroll on the ground faster and with no practical roadblocks,” a senior officer told TOI.
While chairing a high-level review meeting in Raipur on LWE situation – the first after a BJP government was installed in Chhattisgarh, a change likely to help the final battle against Maoists with their influence now limited to a few pockets of the state – Shah mooted a comprehensive plan to eliminate Naxalism from the country within three years. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and the two deputy chief ministers, state DGP, CRPF DG, Intelligence Bureau director and senior officers of the central and state government.
The time-bound action-plan includes further shrinking the geographical area under LWE influence by sending counter-Naxal forces deeper into ‘liberated’ Maoist zones. Once these areas are reclaimed, the forces shall set up camps there to fill the security vacuum and also enable a development and welfare push by the local administration.
Importantly, Shah directed the Chhattisgarh police to ensure comprehensive investigation of LWE cases, closely monitor prosecution, choke Maoists’ finance streams and take forward intelligence-based operations based on verified inputs from the multi-agency centre as the battle against Naxals enters a final and decisive stage.
“There was agreement at the meeting that with a BJP government now in place in Chhattisgarh, coordination among the various counter-Naxal agencies will be better and the time-bound plan to uproot the menace can unroll on the ground faster and with no practical roadblocks,” a senior officer told TOI.
