Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Saturday said that the state would be free from the menace of Naxalism by the beginning of next year. He was speaking at the India Today Conclave East here. For any state to prosper, peace is the most important thing and any government's priority is to provide security to its masses, the chief minister said. "In last three years, we have taken steps in this regard. More than 70 per cent of Naxalism has ended in Jharkhand. The remaining 30 per cent will come to an end by the end of December," Das said. "There are some Naxal leaders who are hiding in Buda Pahar. Our police personnel have been countering them and I have full faith in the police that by December end, we will be able to complete the operation and put an end to Naxalite terror. From the beginning of 2018 the state will be free from (Naxal) insurgency and crime," he said. Das said that several Maoists have surrendered after the state introduced an attractive surrender policy. "We have also cracked on Naxal sympathisers in our villages and our cities by attaching their properties," the Jharkhand chief minister said. Das said he is confident about the victory of the BJP in the upcoming Gujarat elections as the people of that state have made up their mind to give a befitting reply to the Congress.
