MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI CH.VIDYASAGAR RAO)
(a)&(b) Ministry of Home Affairs has set up a Coordination Centre, headed by Union Home Secretary with Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of the States affected by left wing extremism, as its members, to review the steps taken to check the left wing extremist activities, monitor the plan of action in respect of each State and to make recommendations, both on development and security aspect of the problem. The Coordination Centre has had several meetings in this regard.
(c) The following major incidents took place in Madhya Pradesh:
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i) on February 3, 1999, the PWG activities ambushed a police party on Ambeda-Narainpur Road in Ambeda Police Station, district Kanker, In North Bastar, killing 3 police personnel including a Company Commander.
ii) On February 20, 2000, the PWG activities exploded a landmine at Narainpur Kutul Road, Narainpur, Bastar district, resulting in the deaths of 23 persons (policemen-20, civilians-3).
(d)&(e) Ministry of Home Affairs had set up a Working Group on Left Wing Extremism, consisting of representatives of concerned Ministries/Departments of the Government of India and State Governments, to suggest long and short term strategies, and action plans, for responding to the problem in the affected States. The report of the Working Group was forwarded to the concerned States requesting them to ensure better socio-economic development of the affected areas and also to introduce such steps as to combat the problem on the basis of a cohesive plan of action in diverse areas such as redressal of public grievances, adequate road linkages for better accessibility, thrust on employment generation programmes, strengthening of the Panchayat Raj system, adequate land reforms, restoration of tribal lands, removal of rural indebtedness, tailoring of development programmes to local requirements etc.
(f) Government has been regularly sensitizing all State Governments and concerned agencies regarding the activities of extremists. Intelligence is shared on continous basis and support is provided by way of financial assistance for Modernisation of State police and deployment of Central Para Military Forces.
`Public Order` and `Police` are State subjects and hence it is for the concerned States to take effective of extremists. However, with a view to strengthening the State Police forces, a special scheme for reimbursement of security related expenditure incurred by the extremist affected States is being implemented by the Central Government.
