Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday set a firm deadline for ending Left-Wing Extremism in India, declaring that the country will be free of Maoist violence by March 31 and that security forces will ensure the defeat of any attempt to create a so-called ‘Red Corridor’ stretching from Tirupati to Pashupati.
Speaking at the 57th Raising Day ceremony of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) on the banks of the Mahanadi in Odisha, Shah said the Narendra Modi government had taken a “pledge” to eliminate the menace and that the CISF had made significant contributions to the effort in states such as Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana.
“The dream of those who imagined a Red Corridor from Tirupati to Pashupati will be completely defeated, and our security forces will establish full control,” Shah said while addressing thousands of CISF personnel and their families assembled at the parade ground in Mundali of Cuttack. “This will be a major achievement under the leadership of the Prime Minister.”
Shah said that over the years CISF personnel have collectively received 13,700 medals for bravery and distinguished service.
Highlighting the expanding mandate of the force, Shah announced several new responsibilities for the CISF. The Union home ministry has decided to entrust the security of all major ports in the country to the force, adding a significant maritime dimension to its existing role. In addition, the CISF has been designated as the nodal agency for drone security, with a new vertical to be created for this purpose.
Several new establishments have also been added to the CISF’s security portfolio over the past year. These include the Noida International Airport, Navi Mumbai Airport, Lengpui Airport, the Jawaharpur Thermal Power Project, the Bhakra Dam Project, NTPC installations, the Rajasthan Refinery Project and the Talipalli coal mining project.
During the event, Shah also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several projects worth ₹890 crore under five different schemes. Residential complexes for CISF personnel in Rajarhat and Mahipalpur have been completed, while foundation stones were laid for reserve battalion campuses in Kamrup, Nashik and Sehore.
