Chhattisgarh Government Plans Post-Monsoon Offensive Against Maoists Ahead of Amit Shah’s Visit
Raipur
The Chhattisgarh government is set to launch an offensive against Maoists after the monsoon season. Sources said Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai convened a high-level meeting late Wednesday to review the security situation in the Maoist-affected Bastar region. This review comes in anticipation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s three-day visit to the state, starting on August 23. The state’s strategy for the offensive may be finalized during Shah’s visit and his meeting with the Chief Minister and officials on Saturday evening, sources added.
During the meeting, Sai focused on the counterinsurgency efforts and strategies employed by security forces in Bastar. Key points included enhancing the intelligence network and establishing additional security camps in Maoist strongholds. Senior police officers presented updates on the current security situation and counterinsurgency operations aimed at curbing Maoist influence in the region.
Recent reports highlighted significant progress in the fight against Maoists. Over the past eight months, security forces have neutralized 146 Maoists. Additionally, 32 new security camps have been established in previously inaccessible areas of Bastar.
The meeting underscored the need for intensified anti-Naxal operations, especially as the monsoon season ends. Heavy rains and flash floods have previously restricted movement in Bastar’s forests, causing both security forces and Maoists to observe an unofficial ceasefire. The counterinsurgency strategy involves a dual approach of development projects alongside police action.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is expected to arrive in Chhattisgarh around 10 PM on Friday. His itinerary includes meetings with senior BJP leaders and an inter-state coordination session with chief secretaries and police directors from nine Naxal-affected states. Shah will also conduct a separate review of the Left-wing extremism situation in Bastar later in the day.
