Maharashtra government allots Rs 64 crore to Left Wing Extremism affected districts

Maharashtra government has decided to allocate Rs 64 crore to four Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts in the Vidarbha region to fast-track their development.

"On receiving funds from the Central government for the Left Wing Extremism affected districts, the state has decided to allot Rs 16 crore each to Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts of Vidarbha region. These funds will be handed over to the district collectors for disbursement," a recent government resolution said. Under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) to develop tribal and backward districts in LWE-hit areas, the Centre will provide a total of Rs 120 crore for 2014-15, to be distributed equally among the four districts of Vidarbha.

Out of this, the state has already been alloted Rs 80 crore. The rest of the amount will be provided to the state in instalments, the GR said. The Central government had in 2010-11 announced its decision to introduce a special scheme to address the development of LWE affected districts in the country. It was stated that the Planning Commission would prepare an IAP for the affected areas and adequate funds would be made available to support the action plan, which includes development in Naxal-hit regions of India.