The Home Minister, P. Chidambaram on June 15 reveiewed the anti-naxal operations in Orissa and Chhattisgarh with the respective Chief Ministers Naveen Patnaik and Raman Singh and offered intensified campaign against left wing extremism through a two-pronged strategy of development and police action.

The Home Minister said that violent incidents have been reported in areas falling under 270 police stations in 64 districts in 8 States. However, the number of incidents and the number of casualties is lower than in the corresponding period last year. Up to June 14, 2011, the number of incidents was 811 compared to 1,025 last year, resulting in 270 deaths (473 last year), including 190 civilians.

CPI (Maoist) and other left wing extremist groups continue to target civilians and kill them after branding them as ‘police informers’. Of the 190 civilians killed this year, 72 were branded as police informers, he stated. Besides the groups have been targeting infrastructure and businesses. This year there were 13 attacks on railway property; 18 telephone exchanges and towers were attacked; four panchayat bhavans and 12 school buildings were destroyed; and 82 roads and culverts were also damaged.

There have been 125 encounters between security forces and left wing extremists and 78 extremists have been neutralised. Besides, 883 extremists have been arrested, 243 have surrendered and 315 arms have been recovered.

On the development side, under the Integrated Action Plan of 2010-11 and 2011-12, Rs. 55 crore has been allotted to each of the 60 affected districts.

The government has also announced deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles in naxal-infested areas to assist the security forces in quick intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activities.