Review of Development Works by the Home Ministry A review of the progress in the development works being undertaken in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states was undertaken by the Union Home Ministry here today, in which the concerned Union Ministries and Chief Secretaries of the seven LWE-affected states participated. Addressing the meeting, Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh stated that progress in development works has picked up during the last two years, and extended his congratulations to the states and the concerned central ministries. He stressed the need to build upon this progress further, and finish the projects in hand at an even quicker pace, so that the people living in these areas are benefitted and get access to services and facilities at par with other parts of the country. The Home Minister also noted that deaths due to LWE incidents had declined by 42% in the year 2015 as compared to the year 2013. Progress of different projects was thereafter reviewed and discussed with the Secretaries of the Central Ministries of Railways, Road Transport and Highways, Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Post, Information & Broadcasting, Communication & IT, Finance, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. The Chief Secretaries from the States of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Telengana and Maharashtra also participated. During the meeting, special projects such as construction of roads both RRP-I & II, installation of mobile towers, development measures such as schools with hostel facility, Kendriya Vidyalayas/Navodaya Vidyalayas in the worst affected districts were discussed threadbare. It was also decided to upgrade the multi-specialty hospital at Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. Other issues such as installation of mobile towers in grey areas, increasing the reach of networks of DD and AIR, improvement in programmes, expansion of railway lines, banking & postal services were also discussed in detail. The Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi asked the Ministries to look into different eligibility norms realistically and alter them suitably, if need be after getting necessary approvals, in view of the extreme necessity. Shri Jaideep Govind, Additional Secretary (LWE) and other senior officers of Ministry of Home Affairs were also present.
