NEW DELHI: Home minister Amit Shah will review the security situation as well as progress of development schemes in eight left-wing extremism-hit states in a meeting with their chief ministers on Monday. The meeting comes against the backdrop of a major success achieved by counter-naxal forces in Chhattisgarh, with the security personnel having eliminated 31 naxals in Maad area on Narayanpur-Dantewada border over the past two days.
With the high casualties inflicted on the left-wing extremists in Chhattisgarh, the total number of naxals killed by the security forces so far has risen to 238 this year.While 202 Left-wing extremist cadres were neutralised until Sept 15, five more were killed over the next fortnight. Finally, 31 more were killed in a single two-day operation that concluded on Friday.
Shah will chair the LWE review meeting with the chief ministers of affected states like Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. With Shah having recently declared the govt’s intent to wipe out left-wing extremism by March 2026, the counter-Naxal operations are at a decisive stage. The meeting is likely to discuss how the security forces must go deeper into the Maad region, to which Naxals’ influence is now restricted, to remove the last vestiges of left-wing extremism. This will be followed by setting up forward bases in these areas and reaching development benefits to the people there.
Five Union ministers handling charge of ministries closely involved with providing development support to LWE-affected states will also be part of discussions. Deputy national security adviser and senior officers from Centre, states & central armed police forces will also participate in deliberations.