New Delhi: Over 500 people including 124 security personnel were killed in 1,476 attacks carried out by Naxals in various states affected by Left wing extremism till November this year.
According to latest Home Ministry data, out of the total of 513 deaths, the highest of 182 were in Chhattisgarh, followed by 137 in Jharkhand, 50 in Maharashtra, 49 each in Bihar and Orissa, and 40 in West Bengal among others. It said that Naxals carried out 1,476 attacks targeting various government and private installations, killing 389 civilians and 124 security force personnel.
Law enforcement agencies have arrested 1,728 naxalites, recovered 546 arms and 344 Maoists surrendered during the eleven months.
There were 219 incidents in which Left wing extremists targeted industries, railways, telephone exchange towers, power plants, minings, panchayat bhawan and school building among others.
Of these, basic transport infrastructure like roads in naxal areas bore the brunt with 119 strikes, followed by 31 attacks on telephone towers, 23 on railways properties, 21 school buildings and 12 on economic installations including uranium mines and pipe lines. "It is the belief of the Government of India that a combination of calibrated police action, focused development efforts and improvements in governance will yield the desired results against Left Wing Extremists. However, there is no proposal for army deployment in the naxal affected areas," a senior Home Ministry official said. Police and public order being state subjects, action with respect to maintenance of law and order lies primarily in the domain of the State Governments concerned, he said. PTI