New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the government's focus after eliminating Naxalism would be on healing the wounds of people maimed by decades of violence and ensuring they lead lives of dignity.
Addressing a function to distribute assistive devices to persons with disabilities, including those affected by Naxal violence, Shah said the Centre would support the Chhattisgarh government in rehabilitating those affected by the conflict.
The programme, organised as part of the ongoing 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan', marked the second phase of the Divyang Seva Camp, held to commemorate 25 years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public leadership, from his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister to his time as Prime Minister.
The assistive device distribution drive began in Jagdalpur on October 5 and concluded on October 7. More than 3,600 persons with disabilities, including over 1,570 from Bastar, received devices such as artificial limbs, wheelchairs, tricycles, crutches, hearing aids and smart sticks.
Shah said Naxals had crossed all limits by injuring innocent people through improvised explosive device (IED) blasts to pursue narrow political motives, calling such acts a crime against humanity.
Highlighting rehabilitation efforts, he said 8,526 Naxal cadres had surrendered. Of these, 455 had been provided employment opportunities, 129 had received land and 4,014 beneficiaries had been allotted houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.
The Home Minister also highlighted initiatives such as the Bastar Olympics, Bastar Pandum and Niyad Nellanar, which aim to improve infrastructure, promote development and preserve tribal culture.
Announcing a further step towards strengthening public services, Shah said more than 200 of the over 500 security camps established in the region would be converted into Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera. Officials at these centres would work to expand access to essential amenities for the people of Bastar.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.