Union home minister Amit Shah calls for tight inter-state coordination in security review

RAIPUR: With just 51 days left for the Centre’s March 31, 2026 deadline to end armed Left-wing extremism, the last in a series of high-level security reviews chaired by Amit Shah was held in Raipur on Sunday, signalling what officials described as a final strategic push to dismantle residual Maoist networks while accelerating a development-and-livelihood reset for Bastar.

Chairing the review, Shah said the security-centric strategy, expansion of infrastructure, targeted action against Maoist financial networks, and an effective surrender policy have delivered tangible results. He expressed confidence that Naxalism is nearing complete elimination before March 31, 2026, underlining the need for tight inter-state coordination so that remaining cadres do not slip across borders.




“What was once a stronghold of Naxalite violence has now become a symbol of development under the BJP’s double-engine government in Chhattisgarh,” Shah said, adding that the state’s youth are driving progress in sports, forensic and technical education while preserving local culture and traditions. He stressed that the fight against Maoists must not be “scattered” and called for seamless coordination among states and central agencies to prevent regrouping.

Shah also reviewed development works in the state, asserting that Chhattisgarh has made notable gains on both security and development fronts and that people in affected areas must receive equal opportunities as peace consolidates. He reiterated that the Centre and state governments are leaving “no stone unturned” to end Maoism, which he said has pushed generations into poverty and illiteracy.

The extensive LWE review, held at a hotel in Nava Raipur, brought together the chief minister, deputy chief minister and home minister Vijay Sharma, additional chief secretaries (home), directors general of police from LWE-affected states, and top leadership of central forces and intelligence agencies. DGs of the CRPF, BSF, ITBP and NIA, along with senior officers from Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Telangana, were present.

The review ran through multiple sessions: an initial intelligence and ground-security assessment, followed by further reviews till evening. Officials said the discussions examined operational tempo, intelligence inputs, and a coordinated roadmap to clear residual areas ahead of the deadline, alongside “new models” of development for LWE-affected pockets.

In a post after the meeting, Shah said the review with the Chhattisgarh government showed that the security-centric approach, infrastructure strengthening, financial-network crackdowns and surrender policy are yielding results.

Vishnu Deo Sai said the meeting was a “strong signal of decisive progress” against Left-wing extremism. “We are moving forward with full commitment and speed to fulfil our resolve of making Chhattisgarh Naxal-free by March 31,” he said.

Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, comprising seven districts and bordering Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, has long been considered the strongest Maoist bastion.

Since January 2024, over 500 Maoists have been killed, around 1,900 arrested, and more than 2,500 surrendered in the state, according to police.

Shah is on a three-day visit to Chhattisgarh and is also scheduled to attend the closing programme of the Bastar Pandum festival.