Development, education taking lead in Maoism-hit areas, says PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the collective fight against Maoism was yielding results with development and education taking the lead in areas that were under its influence.

In his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme, Modi said basic facilities such as bus services and education were now made possible in far-flung villages such as Katejhari in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh which were earlier in the grip of Maoist violence.

"It is such a common thing to travel by bus. But I want to tell you about a village where a bus arrived for the first time. The people there had been waiting for this day for years. And when the bus arrived in the village for the first time, people welcomed it to the tune of drumbeats," the prime minister said, narrating the incident in Katejhari village in Maharashtra.

He also cited the example of the spread of educational facilities such as science labs taking root in the Bastar and Dantewada regions of Chhattisgarh.

"I was pleased to know that the results of Classes 10 and 12 examinations were spectacular," Modi said.

He said Dantewada district topped Chhattisgarh in Class 10 examinations with 95 per cent results and ranked sixth in the state in the Class 12 examinations.

The prime minister said in earlier episodes of Mann ki Baat, he had discussed the success of Bastar Olympics and Science Labs in the Maoism-hit districts.

"The children here are passionate about science and doing wonders in sports. These efforts tell us that the people living in these regions are courageous. Despite several challenges, they have opted for a path that makes their lives better," Modi said.

The government has said that the fight against Naxalism has entered a decisive phase and expressed the resolve to end the menace by March 31 next year.