Naxal influence in Central India are gradually going down as per data of Security Related Expenditure (SRE) allocated by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
A report by Rakesh K Singh in the Daily Pioneer quoting an order issued by the Additional Secretary (LWE) in the Union Home Ministry, Praveen Vashista on June 19 indicates that the number of districts covered under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) for states affected by LWE violence has now come down from 90 in 11 States to 70 in 10 States. Uttar Pradesh is the State which had three affected districts which has been taken off the SRE list.
The Pioneer report states that the MHA has identified 70 districts covered under the SRE scheme includes five districts in Andhra Pradesh — East Godavari, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and West Godavari.
· 10 districts in Bihar — Aurangabad, Banka, Gaya, Jamui, Kaimur, Lakhisarai, Munger, Nawada, Rohtas and West Champaran. Chhattisgarh, 14 districts E — Balrampur, Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Kanker, Kondagaon, Mahasamand, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon, Sukma, Kabirdham and Mungeli.
· Jharkhand, 16 districts includes Bokaro, Chatra, Dhanbad, Dumka, East Singhbhum, Garhwa, Giridih, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, Palamu, Ranchi, Saraikela-Kharsawan and West Singhbhum.
· Kerala---Malappuram, Palakkad and Wayanad
· Madhya Pradesh, three districts---Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori
· Gadhchiroli and Gondia districts of Maharashtra.
· Jhargram districts of West Bengal.
· Odisha 10 districts Bargarh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Naupada, Rayagada and Sundergarh.
· Telangana---Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, Jayashankar-Bhupalpally, Komaram-Bheem, Mancherial and Mulugu---are included in the SRE scheme.
Most Affected Districts
The 25 Most Affected (Left-Wing Extremism) Districts in eight States are eight in Jharkhand (Chatra, Giridih, Gumla, Khunti, Latehar, Lohardaga, Saraikela-Kharaswan and West Singhbhum), seven in Chhattisgarh (Bastar, Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Narayanpur, Rajnandgaon and Sukma), three each in Bihar (Gaya, Jamui and Lakhisarai) and Odisha (Kandhamal, Malkangiri and Kalahandi) as per the Pioneer Report. One district each in Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam), Madhya Pradesh (Balaghat), Maharashtra (Gadhchiroli) and Telangana (Bhadradri-Kothagudem) have also been categorized as Most Affected LWE districts as per the Pioneer.
Districts of Concern
Eight districts in six States are classified as ‘District of Concern’.
· Chhattisgarh three districts---Kabirdham, Kondagaon and Mungeli
· One district each in Bihar (Aurangabad), Jharkhand (Garhwa), Kerala (Wayanad), Madhya Pradesh (Mandla) and Odisha (Koraput) as per the Pioneer.
Criteria for Inclusion
Criteria for inclusion of districts under the SRE Scheme are as follows:-
(i) Intensity of naxal violence over a period of say, five years. Exceptions can be made in some cases where it is found that a particular district which was earlier not affected or marginally affected, has, over the past 2/3 years, been reporting a large number of cases of naxal violence.
(ii) The organizational consolidation attained by the various naxal outfits in the affected district. Whether the districts are having ‘librated areas’ or ‘guerilla zones’ where the extremist outfit(s) virtually run a parallel administration even though the overall violence profile may not be very high.
(iii) The presence of armed dalams, their free movement and their fire power which would determine the potentiality of an extremist outfit to commit violent acts and be a serious threat to internal security. The sophistication in arms holding has to be a determining factor.
(iv) The spread of active mass front organizations of the naxal groups that lend constant and effective support in terms of logistics and safe refugee to the armed cadres needs to be taken into consideration to judge the extent to which particular district are affected.
(v) Extent of pro-active measure initiated by the police/administration to counter the naxal extremist.