Maoist movement in Maharashtra has weakened over past decade: Shinde

Mumbai: The Maoist movement in Maharashtra has significantly diminished over the past decade, with armed cadres dropping from 550 in 2014 to a mere 56 this year, according to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Speaking at a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Shinde attributed this decline to development work, investments in Maoist-affected areas, and various combative measures undertaken by the government.
The meeting, which included chief ministers from Maoist-affected states, was held in the wake of a recent operation by security forces in Chhattisgarh where 31 Maoists were killed.
Shinde reported that over the past six years, security forces have killed 96 armed Maoists, arrested 161, and witnessed the surrender of 70 others. He emphasised that anti-Maoist operations have been intensified and coupled with substantial investment programmes in affected districts.
“We concentrated on infrastructure, internet network, health-education and industries sector,” Shinde said. “The memorandum of understanding with Loyyd Metals Limited for ₹20,000 crore investment in Gadchiroli, with the potential creation of 10,000 jobs has been signed. The Surajagad Ispat integrated steel plant in Gadchiroli with the investment of ₹10,000 crore will help generating 7,000 more jobs, while a state-of-the-art training and innovation institute has been opened with the help of Tata Technologies. This would help train 4,800 local youth per year and will prove a major boost to development.”
Shinde expressed Maharashtra’s commitment to the central government’s mission of eradicating Maoism by March 2026 under Shah’s leadership. He requested additional forces and specialised training to combat Maoist activities effectively.
“We have been getting all types of assistance and cooperation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” Shinde added.
The chief minister also declared that the state government has liberated northern Gadchiroli from armed Maoists. “Our efforts have damaged the Maoist movement’s plan of expanding activities between Abuzmad and MMC zones. During this period, no new recruitment has been done in the Maoist cadres, and not a single security personnel has lost his life,” he said.
Shinde highlighted a significant achievement: 19 villages in Bhamaragad, adjoining Abuzmad, have prohibited Maoists from entering. He also noted that Gadchiroli registered a 71.88% voter turnout during the Lok Sabha election, despite Maoist appeals to boycott the polls.