The government today said that it has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against left-wing extremism and aims to eliminate it by March next year.

 

 

Replying to supplementaries during the Question Hour in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that the Centre is working in coordination with state governments to end the menace. He said, Left-wing extremism neither believes in the Constitution of the country nor has any faith in democracy.

 

 

Mr Rai stated that Left-wing extremists have killed thousands of innocent people and left many children orphaned. The Minister said that the problem had existed since 1967, but it was never eliminated. He said, earlier governments treated it as a state-level issue, due to which the Central Government neither took strong action nor formulated any effective policy.

 

 

The Minister informed under this policy against Left-wing extremism, states have been provided CAPF battalions. Mr Rai informed that funds of three thousand 523 crore rupees have been released under the Security Related Expenditure scheme, and three thousand 848 crore rupees were also provided under Special Central Assistance. He said, an approval has been given for the establishment of 706 police stations, along with adequate training facilities.

 

 

The Minister said, with an approval of 20 thousand 815 crore rupees, construction of over 17 thousand kilometres of roads is underway and out of which 85 per cent work has been completed. He also informed that over ten thousand mobile towers have been installed.

 

 

Mr Rai said, over 16 thousand incidents of violence occurred between 2004 to 2014, which has decreased to around seven thousand in the last ten years. The Minister said, civilian deaths have also seen a 70 per cent decline during this period.