Red Corridor data to be updated: 20 districts to be taken of the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency list
New Delhi July 25:The Red Corridor is a region in the east of India that experiences considerable Naxalite–Maoist insurgency.The Centre plans to remove around 20 of the 106 Maoist-affected districts that are part of the Red Corridor.
The armed cadre of CPI(Maoist),which control these areas suffer from the greatest illiteracy, poverty and overpopulation in modern India, and span parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar,, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal states.
Of the 106 districts ,only 44 are said to be the worst-affected by insurgency.India has a total of 683 districts.
The 20 districts have been examined on parameters like violence profile, an assessment of the kind of logistical and other support provided to armed Maoist cadres by their sympathisers and “overground workers”, and the kind of positive changes brought about by development work that these districts have seen.
The Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) has already given the go-ahead for an ambitious road project in the 44 worst-affected districts.it is proposed to construct 5412 km road length and 126 bridges.
The redrawing of the red corridor is being done first time since 2006.
Compared to last six years , in 2016, the number of Maoist-related incidents has increased as compared to those recorded during the same period in 2015.
The report also added that the state governments fear that once these districts are removed from the list, the financial aide given to them will stop.
Around 118 districts in 17 states are affected by the left wing extremists- LWE, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data.
As many as 22 districts in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh are highly affected, 18 are moderately affected and 78 marginally affected.
There has been a 35 percent decline in casualties in Naxal violence under our government. The Maoist cadre and leadership are disillusioned and demoralised.
The NDA government has formulated a new integrated policy to counter the left wing extremism in the country,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh had told the Economic Times.
According to the SATP, Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division continues to be the most violent region under the Maoist control.
The report added that Chhattisgarh has recorded 29 fatalities in Maoist-related violence in 2016 (data till 14 February).
