The Centre on Saturday asserted that sustained and coordinated action by multiple security and investigative agencies over the past 11 years has significantly weakened the Naxalite movement by choking its funding networks, shrinking its territorial footprint and sharply reducing violence, as the government reiterated its March 31, 2026 deadline to eradicate Left-wing extremism from the country.
According to the government, assets worth nearly ₹92 crore linked to Naxalite financing have been seized so far. This includes over ₹40 crore seized through a dedicated anti-Naxal vertical created within the National Investigation Agency, more than ₹40 crore seized by state authorities, and ₹12 crore attached by the Enforcement Directorate. Officials said these financial crackdowns, along with action against propaganda and information networks, have inflicted &ldquo;moral and psychological damage&rdquo; on both armed cadres and their urban support structures.
Union home minister Amit Shah has set March 31, 2026, as the target date to completely eliminate Naxalism. The government said the results on the ground indicate steady progress towards that goal.
In 2025, only three districts remain categorised as &ldquo;most-affected&rdquo; by Naxal violence, a sharp decline from 36 such districts in 2014. Overall, the number of Naxal-affected districts has fallen from 126 in 2014 to just 11 in 2025.
Security operations have also intensified. This year alone, 317 Naxal cadres have been neutralised, 862 arrested and 1,973 have surrendered. A total of 28 top Naxal leaders have been killed in recent years, including one central committee member in 2024 and five senior leaders in 2025.
The government highlighted several major operational successes, including Operation Black Forest, in which 27 hardcore Maoists were killed, the surrender of 24 cadres in Bijapur in May 2025, and the surrender of 258 Naxals across Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in October 2025, including 10 senior leaders.
The decline in violence is also reflected in police data. Police stations reporting Naxal incidents have reduced from 330 across 76 districts in 2013 to 52 stations across 22 districts by June 2025. To strengthen security presence, 586 fortified police stations have been constructed in the last decade, compared to just 66 before 2014. Over the past six years, 361 new security camps and 68 night-landing helipads have been set up to improve operational reach in remote areas.
Alongside security measures, the government said it has focused on development and connectivity in former Naxal strongholds to address long-standing grievances. Between May 2014 and August 2025, around 12,000 km of roads were built in affected areas. Projects covering a total of 17,589 km have been approved at a cost of ₹20,815 crore to ensure all-weather connectivity in previously inaccessible regions.
Mobile and digital connectivity has also expanded rapidly. In the first phase, 2,343 mobile towers were installed at a cost of ₹4,080 crore, followed by a second phase in which 2,542 towers were sanctioned with an investment of ₹2,210 crore, of which 1,154 are already operational. Under the Aspirational Districts and 4G Saturation schemes, 8,527 4G towers have been approved, with more than 5,300 currently functional, significantly improving communication and intelligence capabilities.
Financial inclusion has been another key focus area. The government said 1,804 bank branches and 1,321 ATMs have been opened in Naxal-hit regions, along with the deployment of 37,850 banking correspondents. Additionally, 5,899 post offices have been set up across 90 districts, ensuring access to banking, postal and remittance services within a 5 km radius in remote areas.
The Centre said these combined measures have led to a reduction of over 70 per cent in Naxal violence over the past decade, with civilian and security force casualties dropping sharply and thousands of cadres opting to surrender and rejoin mainstream society.
While acknowledging that some pockets of resistance remain, the government maintained that the overall trajectory is clear. With sustained vigilance until the March 31, 2026 deadline, it said, the ideological and territorial backbone of the Naxal insurgency has been broken, paving the way for lasting peace and development in regions that were long affected by violence.

An anti-Maoist operation in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Assets seized, violence dips as Centre targets Naxal eradication by March 2026

Centre Says Naxal Funding Choked, 2026 Goal

Assets seized, violence dips as Centre targets Naxal eradication by March 2026

December 14, 2025 | 10:58 IST