Number of Naxal-affected districts across India down to seven, Chhattisgarh still has five hotspots

The seven districts impacted by naxal incidents are Bijapur, Naraynapur, Sukma, Kanker and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, and Kandhamal in Odisha.

New Delhi: The number of naxal-affected districts in the country has come down to seven, with three of them -- Bijapur, Narayanpur and Sukma in Chhattisgarh -- remaining in the "most affected category, officials said on Thursday.

A review of regions affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) put the number at 11 in October last year and at eight last December. The fresh review has brought it down to seven and bracketed it into three categories -- most affected, districts of concern and "other LWE-affected districts".

The seven districts impacted by naxal incidents are Bijapur, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kanker and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand, and Kandhamal in Odisha.

Of this, two -- Kanker and West Singhbhum -- are "districts of concern", where Naxalism is on the decline but focused deployment of resources is still required. The "other LWE-affected districts" are Dantewada and Kandhamal.

Under the "legacy and thrust districts", the number has risen to 31 from 30 in December last year. Legacy districts are those which are no longer LWE-affected but need support in terms of security and development works for some time while the thrust districts are those that are prospective sites of naxal expansion and require continued support.

The latest review comes as the union government's deadline for ending naxal menace is expiring next month.

Recently, a comprehensive review of the "National Policy and Action Plan to Address LWE" was undertaken, analysing 38 districts across nine states including Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal.