Security situation in LWE-hit areas improving: CRPF DG

The current security situation in Naxal-violence affected states is "good" and may improve further while parts of Odisha and adjoining areas are witnessing an increased activity of these cadres, CRPF chief Prakash Mishra said here today.
Asserting that the violent activities and incidents of Maoist attacks have "come down" in the last over one year, the Director General (DG) said the situation still remains dynamic and sustained police action along with development activities have to go in tandem to keep the Naxals under check.
"If you go by the overall activities in the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states, I would say the situation is good. Their (Naxals) activity has come down," Mishra, who will be retiring at the end of this month, said while interacting with reporters.

The DG said while states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar have been the focus areas of anti-Naxal operations largely led by CRPF, some hinterland areas of his home state Odisha and its border with Andhra Pradesh have recently seen a rise in Naxal activities.
"While situation on the LWE front has drastically improved, these new developments (along Andhra-Odisha border) need to be checked," Mishra, the chief of the country's largest paramilitary force, said.
Mishra, a 1977-batch Odisha cadre IPS officer, added it was very essential that development works are given impetus as soon as security forces clear a Naxal-held area.

He said due to sustained action of security forces fresh recruitment of Naxal cadres has gone down sharply and a large number of surrenders happening simultaneously.
"The situation is likely to improve further if we sustain the action... As of now the scenario in LWE areas is dynamic," Mishra, who has headed the Odisha Police before his present stint, said.