Odisha LWE hit districts comes down to 15 from 19

The number of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts in Odisha has been reduced to 15 from 19, a top state police officer said here today.

Based on the incidents of violence in the state, the Ministry of Home has reduced the number of districts hit by LWE. It has come down from 19 to 15," Director General of Police R P Sharma told reporters.

Odisha has a total of 30 districts.

While six districts - Ganjam, Gajapati, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Jajpur and Dhenkanal - have been deleted from the list, the ministry has added Angul and Boudh in it, Sharma said.

The DGP said while there had been no Maoist violence in the six districts that were deleted from the list, two found place in it because of the rebel movement in the areas.

Though Maoist violence have been reported from only eight districts last year, the ministry decided to retain 15 districts as LWE hit because of the influence of the rebels in those areas, he said.

The 15 districts those have been identified as LWE hit districts are: Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Sundergarh, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Deogarh, Klahandi, Nuapada, Bargarh, Bolangir, Angul and Boudh.