Raipur, Mar 7 : A total 46 Maoists were eliminated over a period of a year in Chhattisgarh’s Left-wing extremism-affected Bastar division and 555 rebels returned to the mainstream, Governor Anusuiya Uikey said on Monday. The burning issue of Naxalism found mention in the customary gubernatorial address that marked commencement of the Assembly’s Budget Session. “Cases involving in excess of 900 families – residing in rebellion-hit areas – have been withdrawn. The ambit of peace is thus ceaselessly expanding. The Spandan campaign has been launched to combat stress among law-enforcement personnel,” she said. As much as 85 per cent of the target has been met vis-a-vis disbursing Rs 5,900 crore as interest-free, short-term loans to cultivators. The Rs 1,735-cr Chhattisgarh Inclusive Rural and Accelerated Agricultural Growth Project envisages livelihood generation in 25 blocks spread over 14 tribal-dominated districts. A sum of Rs 24,000 cr is being expended on road infrastructure development. A total Rs 102 cr was provided to the next of kin of those whose lives were snuffed out by the pandemic. The Governor touched upon various other development plans and programmes. AS-AC