Home Ministry extends SRE scheme to 20 more LWE-affected districts

New Delhi, Apr 30 (ANI): Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram on Monday informed that Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme has been extended to 20 more Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts.

Talking about the internal security of the country, Chidambaram said: "On April 10, 2012, the SRE Committee accorded 'in-principle' approval to the Annual Work Plan of 9 LWE-affected States for Rs.414.75 crore for the year 2012-13."

"With effect from 1.4.2012, the MHA extended the coverage of the SRE Scheme to 20 more districts for the purpose of reimbursing security related expenditure incurred by the State Governments in dealing with Left Wing Extremism," he added.

The new districts, which have been included under the SRE scheme are: Muzaffarpur, Sheohar, Vaishali, Banka, Lakhisarai, Begusarai and Khagaria (Bihar), Dhamtari, Gariyaband, Balod and Mahasamund (Chhattisgarh), Dumka, Deoghar and Pakur (Jharkhand), Aheri (Maharashtra), Kalahandi, Nuapada, Bargarh and Bolangir (Odisha) and Birbhum (West Bengal).

The Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme now covers 103 districts. (ANI)