New Delhi, Oct 25 (IANS) A decade-long integrated approach combining security, development, and rehabilitation has taken the Union government closer to its target of ridding the country of Maoism by March 2026, an official said on Saturday, pointing to the killing of 270 rebels in 2025 alone.

The official also highlighted a 53 per cent drop in violent incidents in 2014-2024 as compared to the previous decade.

In 2025, the security forces arrested 680 Maoists and facilitated 1,225 surrenders, the official said in a statement. In 2025, 521 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) cadres have surrendered so far, and in the last two years, 1,053 surrenders have been recorded in Chhattisgarh.

The official said in a statement that financial networks sustaining Maoism have been systematically dismantled. A special vertical within the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has seized assets worth over Rs 40 crore, while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) operations led to confiscations worth Rs 12 crore. States have also seized properties worth Rs 40 crore.

Additionally, urban Maoists have suffered significant moral and psychological setbacks, leading to a decline in their capacity for information warfare, said the statement.

Moreover, rehabilitated cadres receive financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh (high-rank), Rs 2.5 lakh (mid/low-rank), and Rs 10,000 monthly stipend for vocational training for 36 months, enabling them to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.

Major operations such as Operation Black Forest and mass surrenders in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra underline growing confidence among insurgents to rejoin mainstream life, said the Union Home Ministry in the statement.

Over the last decade, the coordinated efforts of security forces and development initiatives have led to a significant fall in Naxal-related violence.

Between 2004-2014 and 2014-2024, violent incidents dropped from 16,463 to 7,744, deaths of security personnel fell from 1,851 to 509, and civilian deaths declined from 4,766 to 1,495, a remarkable sign of restored peace and governance in affected regions, said the statement.

The government’s focus on security infrastructure has been pivotal. In the last decade, 576 fortified police stations have been built, and 336 new security camps have been established in the last six years, said the official.

The number of Maoist-affected districts reduced from 126 in 2014 to 18 in 2024, with only six districts now categorised as most-affected. The expansion of night-landing helipads (68 constructed) has improved mobility and response times during operations.

In 2024, security forces carried out 26 major encounters, resulting in the neutralisation of top Maoist cadres.

‘The “Trace, Target, Neutralise” approach has been central to this success, enabling forces to identify and eliminate key Maoist leaders and disrupt their command structure. Operations such as Octopus, Double Bull, and Chakrabandha have achieved remarkable success in the fight against Maoism, with the establishment of camps deep in remote areas, said the Ministry officials.

–IANS

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