New Delhi, March 23 : The government said on Wednesday that the geographical spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) related violence has reduced significantly over the years, and it was limited to 191 police stations across 46 districts in 2021.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said that LWE-related violence reduced substantially in 2021, as compared to a high of 465 police stations in 96 districts in 2010.
In 2014, Maoist violence was reported from 333 police stations across 70 districts. The decline in geographical spread of LWE-related violence is also reflected in the reduced number of districts covered under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The number of SRE districts reduced from 126 to 90 in April 2018 and further to 70 in July 2021. Similarly, the number of districts contributing approximately 90 per cent to Maoist violence, categorised as Most LWE Affected Districts, came down to 30 from 35 in 2018 and further to 25 in 2021,” Rai said in his reply.
In 2017, the number of LWE incidents were 908, 833 in 2018, 670 in 2019, 665 in 2020, and it was reduced to 509 in 2021.
Similarly, in 2017, 136 Maoists were killed while 75 security personnel and 188 civilians lost their lives, whereas in 2018, 255 ultras were gunned along with the loss of life of 67 police personnel and 173 civilians.
In 2019, a total of 145 Maoists were killed, while 52 policemen and 150 civilians lost their lives, while in 2020, 103 Maoists were neutralised along with 43 security personnel and 140 civilians who lost their lives.
In 2021, 126 Maoists were killed in encounters, while 50 security personnel and 97 civilians also lost their lives.
On the security front, the government of India supports the LWE affected state governments by providing CAPF battalions, helicopters, training, funds for modernisation of state police forces, arms and equipment, sharing of intelligence, construction of fortified police stations, etc.(IANS)