650 villages freed from Naxal influence in Chhattisgarh, says CM Baghel

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 27 (ANI): Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday stated that as many as 650 villages have been liberated from the dominance of the Naxals and progress, trust and security have resulted in bringing a significant decline in Naxal incidents in the state.

The Naxal recruitment has also marked a massive reduction, claimed the CM.
CM Baghel stated this after chairing the meeting of Unified Command in Raipur on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the state as well as the centre.

Earlier, the camps were being opened in buffer zones and now, core areas are also being covered. In a district like Sukma, 23 camps have been opened.
"We have allocated patta to tribal people in the Abujhmad area and the villagers have started agricultural activities. The schools which were shut have been started and 'Haat Bazaar Clinic' introduced, 2500 km road constructed, 3435 bridges developed, and other initiatives led to increase in income of people and they got opportunities related to education, health and employment," said Baghel.

Earlier, the common people in Bastar considered the police as their enemy but the situation has changed. Now the police and common mass share cordial relationships now, said Baghel, adding that similarly, the personnel of the forest department and others also share good relationships with people.

Apart from conducting joint operations, the doctors in the camp provide medical assistants to villagers and security personnel conduct classes for children, the CM said.
Earlier people believed that road construction is being carried out for the movement of security personnel and now, they have realized the importance of road connectivity and therefore no road gets damaged, said CM Baghel.

On being asked about naxals using drones and modern weapons, the CM said that such inputs are being received and since it's a part of strategic importance, the issues are being discussed with officials. Efforts are being taken to prevent incidents and more details cannot be revealed due to strategic importance.
Shedding more details about the meeting, CM Baghel said in view of coming elections, the discussions focussing on ensuring the safety of the politicians and party was held. Over 75 camps have been established in the insurgency-hit districts. (ANI)