Committee to monitor projects in naxal areas

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has constituted a committee under additional chief secretary Sudhir Shrivastava to asses the progress of Centre-funded projects in naxal areas.

Sources said the committee has been appointed to look into the Central funds under the integrated action plan (IAP). States have been asked to submit a report where and how the funds have been spent over the last 10 years.

Maharashtra has received a lion’s share of IAP, which has been pumped into some 88 districts since 2010-11. According to the data released by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Lok Sabha, the Centre had extended ₹29,000 crore, of which ₹24,905 crore has been spent in development projects. “Of the 13,222 projects taken up in the State, 3,097 are in progress, while the remaining ones are complete,” said an official of the State Home Department.

But, violence in naxal areas is on the rise. In 2015, 18 tribal informants were killed and 15 murders connected to extremism were reported as against 14 the previous year. At least 66 policemen were injured as opposed to 43 in 2014, while 18 civilians were killed as opposed to six the previous year.

Naxals also killed 10 police informants in 2015 as opposed to eight in 2014. Data also shows only two extremists were killed in 2015 as against 13 the previous year.

The violence and destruction took place despite the government making the Special Director General (Nagpur) accountable for protecting surrendered Maoists under the new surrender policy.