Maoist activity under check in AP: Jagan tells Centre

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday affirmed that the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is on the wane in the State and Maoist activities are contained to only a few pockets of agency areas.

In his address at the review meeting on LWE chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi, the Chief Minister said AP has been battling LWE for over four decades and the multi-pronged approach, comprising security measures, development initiatives, and safeguarding the rights and entitlements of local communities under the National Policy and Action Plan, has yielded positive results.

He stated that c while the LWE cadre strength has also come down to 50 in 2023 from 150 in 2019. While sharing intelligence with neighbouring Odisha, Telangana and Chhattisgarh on tackling the LWE, AP Government has also effectively addressed the issues of poverty, illiteracy, inadequate healthcare and unemployment which are the root cause of the LWE, he said. Tribals were counselled to cultivate alternate commercial crops.

These measures were supplemented with strong efforts like distribution of RoFR pattas for bestowing ownership of 3.23 lakh acres of forest lands to 1.54 lakh eligible tribal farmers and completing laying of roads to an extent of 1,087 km in LWE areas under the Road Connectivity Project for LWE Affected Areas (RCPLWEA) scheme, he said.

Out of the 28 Ekalavya schools sanctioned by the Union Tribal Affairs Ministry for AP, 24 have been established in tribal areas ensuring access to quality education for our Tribal children, he said, adding that Government has also initiated efforts to establish 944 communication towers in the LWE affected areas for enhancing the connectivity and ensure a robust communication network in tribal areas.

He said that the State Government is also running 1,953 primary schools, 81 residential schools, 378 ashram schools and 179 pre and post metric hostels to help students in tribal areas besides extending the benefits of Amma Vodi and other welfare schemes through the dedicated volunteer system and village secretariats. Family doctors, with the support of village health clinics, are also extending preventive health care to tribal people, he said.