The government has opened about 5,000 post offices and more than 1,200 bank branches in the last three years in left-wing extremism affected areas, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday.

Chairing the 23rd meeting of the Central Zonal Council in Bhopal, Shah also stated that more than 2,300 mobile towers are being installed in the first phase and another 2,500 mobile towers would be done in the second phase to provide better telecom services in the Naxal-affected areas.

‘Focus on development’

Urging the States to focus on development schemes, the minister said, “The more development in Naxal-affected areas, the less there will be the recruitment of Naxalites and the sources of mobilisation of Left Wing Extremists will also be exhausted.” He called upon the affected States to “focus more on dealing with this problem so that it can be rooted out”.

According to the home ministry, the Central Zonal Council discussed the significant progress made towards the expansion of banking facilities within 5 kms of all villages as per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been pushing for the spread of the financial institution network in rural areas. 

Shah also said that there has been a 27 per cent increase in resolving issues in the Zonal Council meetings since 2019, which is a great achievement.

Besides Shah, the meeting was attended by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. While Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel attended the meeting virtually. Senior ministers of member States, the Union Home Secretary, Secretaries of Inter-State Council Secretariat, Chief Secretaries of Member States and senior officials of State Governments and Central Ministries and Departments were also present in the meeting.