Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 20 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde praised Union Home Minister Amit Shah's efforts to eliminate Naxalism, saying the Centre's mission to make the country Naxal-free was achieving success, including in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli region.

Speaking on Amit Shah's statement regarding Naxalism, Shinde said on Tuesday that the menace had reduced significantly in Maharashtra, with people increasingly getting employment and livelihood opportunities.

'Home Minister has taken up the task of making the nation Naxal-free, and he is achieving success in it. In Maharashtra, too, Naxals have decreased in areas like Gadchiroli. Naxalism is reducing, people are getting employment and livelihood, Naxalism is being eradicated,' Shinde told reporters.

Shinde further thanked Amit Shah for the efforts and said, 'Naxal-free Gadchiroli... That is why I thank Home Minister Amit Shah... and India is becoming Naxal-free.'

Earlier, while addressing a press conference in Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the country and the region becoming Naxal-free is not enough; the objective is to make a developed Bastar by 2031.

'In 2031, when Bastar will become fully developed, the world will witness that it was Naxalism that had hindered its progress,' he said.

He added that immediately after our party's government was formed here on December 13, 2023, we restarted the campaign to eliminate the remaining Naxals in Bastar. Shah said that after the meeting of all State Directors General of Police on August 24, 2024, it was announced that the country would be made Naxal-free by March 31.

He said the goal for the coming five years is to increase Bastar's income by up to six times and stated that due to the valour, courage, and sacrifices of our security forces, the complete elimination of Naxalism from the country has been achieved even before the target date of March 31.

To free Bastar's seven districts from Naxalism, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, had established nearly 200 security camps in the region.

He said that now that Bastar has become Naxal-free, it has been decided that in the first phase, 70 of these 200 camps will be converted into Veer Shaheed Gundadhur Seva Deras. The purpose of these Seva Deras is to take government facilities and services to the doorstep of every tribal brother and sister in Bastar. (ANI)