This Article is From Apr 09, 2009

Govt calls for balanced view on Naxalism

New Delhi:
Naxalite problem should not be exaggerated to create fear psychosis among people as it is confined to only two per cent of country's 6.5 lakh villages, the government said on Wednesday.

Replying to supplementaries during Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Home Minister Shivraj Patil said 10 states and 180 districts in the country are affected by Naxalite problem.

Going by the number of states and districts, the problem may look enormous. But at a micro level, only 300 police stations out of over 14,000 in the country have Naxalite activities. At the village level, only 14,000 of them are Naxal infested.

The number of Naxal violence related incidents at 700 form just 1.1 per cent of the total insurgency and terrorist related incidents in the country.

",We should look at the scale (of Naxal violence) and not exaggerate it and create fear,", he said.

Patil said that the gravity of the situation should be understood and steps taken.

In Chhattisgarh, the worst Naxal violence affected state, 15,000 central officers, armoured vehicles, helicopters and money for purchasing arms has been given to the state government to tackle the problem, he said.

Government has been adopting a multi-pronged approach and strategy to deal with the situation in areas affected by militancy and insurgency. This includes action on the security front, focus on accelerated development, good governance and measures for building confidence in the local population.

",The experience gathered in the process of countering militancy and insurgency in different areas, is constantly used to formulate and calibrate strategies, plan and policies in this regard,", he said.
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