Naxal violence claims 2,600 lives in three years

The Naxalites, who have become the gravest internal security threat forcing the Centre to plan an all-out offensive against them, have killed more than 2,600 people, including civilians, in the last three years.
    
The highest number of incidents of violence has taken place in four worst-affected states -- Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa -- where 2,212 people lost their lives from January 2006 to August this year.

"We have witnessed more than 5,800 incidents of Naxal violence across the country during the period forcing the government to announce a new strategy to deal with the menace which is growing at an alarming pace in many states," a Home Ministry official said.

In Chhattisgarh, 388 people were killed by the Maoists in 715 incidents in 2006. While 369 lost their lives in 2007, another 242 were killed in 2008. In 2009 till August, about 180 people lost their lives in the state.
   
Altogether 124 people were killed by Maoists in 2006 in Jharkhand, 157 people in 2007 while another 207 lost their lives in 2008. In 2009 till August, about 150 people were killed by the Naxals.
  
With nearly 40,000 para-military personnel, the Centre has readied its anti-Naxal plan which also includes a Rs 7,300-crore package for developmental works in areas cleared off the Left-wing extremists.

As part of its "holistic" anti-Naxal plan, the funds would be disbursed in this fiscal and spent over a span of three years in those areas where the Naxals were driven out.

The key factor in the current strategy is that the government will have a heavy concentration of security forces to ensure elimination of the Naxals and restoration of civil administration.
    
Prime minister Manmohan Singh had described Left-wing extremism as the gravest internal security threat and called for a nuanced strategy to tackle Naxal violence which, despite best efforts of the security forces, continues in many parts of the country.

"We have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing it. It is a matter of concern that despite our efforts, the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise," he had said.
    
Home minister P Chidambaram has said the Maoists have their influence in 20 states across the country.
    
"Over 2,000 police station areas in 223 districts in these states are partially or substantially affected by the menace," he had said.