Bastar, Kondagaon Naxal-free; ops on in other areas: Chhattisgarh CM to Amit Shah

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said joint efforts by the state government and security forces have led to the elimination of Maoists networks and their various wings in these districts.

New Delhi: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Deo Sai has told Union Home Minister Amit Shah that the state's Bastar and Kondagaon districts, once infested by the Naxals, were completely free from the extremists and operations were on to wipe them out from other areas.

Sai relayed the information when he called on the home minister here last night, according to an official release.

During the meeting, Sai briefed Shah on the state's recent achievements in anti-Naxal operations and ongoing development initiatives in the Bastar region.

The chief minister in a release said joint efforts by the state government and security forces have led to the elimination of Maoists networks and their various wings in these districts.

No Naxal-related incidents have been reported in the Naxal-free areas for a long time and the success is not only due to the sustained operations of the security forces but also due to the developmental projects such as roads, schools, healthcare facilities, and employment initiatives that have gained the trust of local communities and weakened Maoists influence, the chief minister said.

He said operations in other Naxal-affected districts are on, with a goal to make them Naxal-free soon.

The state government is also prioritising the rehabilitation of surrendered Maoists and families affected by Naxal violence, he said.

Sai also invited Shah to attend the closing ceremony of the 'Bastar Olympics' and police awards conferment ceremony to be held in Chhattisgarh and it was gladly accepted by the home minister, the release said.

Sai said that under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, construction of 15,000 houses is underway for the people affected by the Naxal violence.

Shah commended the efforts of the Chhattisgarh government and security forces and described their achievement as a "significant step" toward peace and development in the region, the release said.