Naxals collecting Rs 140 crore 'levy' every year: Government

NEW DELHI: Government today said it has information that Naxals have been collecting about Rs 140 crore as 'levy' from industrialists, businessmen and contractors in Left wing Extremism affected states.

"The Left Wing Extremists groups, particularly CPI (Maoist), are reported to extort 'levy' from industrialists, businessmen, contractors particularly Tendu patta contractors, transporters, government servants and various illegal mining mafia groups in the Left Wing Extremism affected states.

"Though an exact quantification is not possible, a study conducted by the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), Delhi has assessed that the CPI (Maoist) party has been collecting not less than Rs 140 crore annually from a variety of sources," Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told Lok Sabha in a written reply.