New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has set 2023 as the deadline to complete fortifications of the 180 police stations in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) areas. It was in 2017-18, the Home Ministry sanctioned 250 police stations in LWE areas for fortifications.
"Of the total projected police stations in LWE areas for fortifications, work has been completed in 70 police stations in Naxal affected areas and the remaining work of fortifications in other police stations will be completed by next year," a senior official in the Home Ministry privy to the development told ETV Bharat.
Fortification is a process under which a police station has an adequate number of human resources, modern communication tools as well as latest arms provided to the security officials. In 2010, the Centre launched the process of fortifying police stations in LWE areas under the police modernization scheme. Under the scheme, a total of 400 police stations and outposts were sanctioned to be constructed in the nine LWE-affected States.
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All the projected police stations have been fortified under the project that was sanctioned initially. "The maximum amount of money for fortifications of police stations is borne by the Central government whereas a small amount is provided by the State government," the MHA official said.
The fortified police stations are situated in at least 46 districts in nine Naxal-hit States including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. According to government statistics, as many as 192 police stations across 46 districts in nine States have been damaged in Naxal attacks last year.
"Several police stations in Naxal hit Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand were the worst affected in the Naxal attack last year," the official said. Sources said that the issue of police infrastructure in Naxal-hit areas was also discussed in the recently concluded Chintan Baithak at Surajkund in Haryana which was chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah. "We believe that by 2024, Naxalism will be insignificant in India," the official claimed.
