Departments give different figures on Left Wing Extremist districts: Nishikant Dubey

NEW DELHI: A BJP member today said varying statistics on naxal-affected districts have been given by different ministries and the erstwhile Planning Commission and urged the government to go by the Union Home Ministry's figures to carry out developmental activities in these areas.

"The erstwhile Planning Commission had said 34 districts were affected by Leftwing extremism, while the Rural Development Ministry says the number is 71 and the Home Ministry says it is between 106 and 111," Nishikant Dubey said during the Zero Hour.

He said due to the "confusion" in the varied number of districts, the developmental activities like education, healthcare or roads, in these areas remained affected.

"This was also reflected in the recent FM auctions where differences arose between the Information and Broadcasting and Home Ministries," Dubey claimed and said the Union Cabinet has decided to go by the figures of the Home Ministry.

He said the Home Ministry had the SRE (Security Related Expenditure) scheme under which the security-related expenditure incurred by the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected states were reimbursed.

Replying to his concern, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the Home Ministry was the nodal ministry and all ministries should coordinate with it to carry out developmental activities in these areas.