Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The state government has formulated a comprehensive and detailed plan aimed at completely eliminating Naxalism from the state by March 31, 2026.

The operation involves multiple state departments, including police, forests, rural development, as well as the telecom department of the Union government.

Recently, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav convened an inter-departmental meeting attended by Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), top officials from the forest and rural development departments, along with senior management from BSNL.

The purpose of the meeting was to address coordination issues in tackling Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The Chief Minister emphasised that the target of eradicating Naxalism should be met ahead of the set deadline.

As part of the strategy, 24 officers, including three from the IPS, have been posted in the Naxal-affected districts of Balaghat, Mandla and Dindori to strengthen security operations.

On March 5, the state government transferred 64 police officers from both the IPS and State Police Service. The highest number of officers, 12, have been posted in Balaghat, followed by 9 in Mandla and 3 in Dindori.

Focus on roads, mobile towers

At the meeting, it was decided that the work on roads that are currently unfinished in the Naxal-affected districts should be completed as soon as possible. Additionally, more mobile towers will be erected in these areas by BSNL. This will require coordination with the Forest Department, as BSNL will need permission to lay cables through forested regions.

850 Special Officers

The government has also decided to create 850 posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs) across the three districts. Local youth from the villages will be appointed to these positions. According to Special Director General of Police (anti-Naxal) Pankaj Shrivastava, this initiative will not only help engage with the villagers but will also provide valuable intelligence crucial for combating Naxalism.