Bhubaneswar, Odisha Police on Sunday declared Bolangir and Bargarh districts “Naxal-free” after 15 Maoists operating in the two districts surrendered before security personnel in neighboring Chhattisgarh, officials said.
DDP YB Khurania said the force has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing operations against Naxals across the state.
“Now Bolangir and Bargarh districts have been officially declared Naxal-free,” Khurania said in a statement.
This brings the number of Naxal-free districts in Odisha to seven. These are Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri, Boudh, Bolangir and Bargarh.
However, the Maoist presence continues in three other areas.
The 15 Maoists surrendered in a ceremony held in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, bordering Bargarh. Three senior Odisha Police officers attended the event.
“These cadres were active in Bargarh-Bolangir-Mahasamund district. With this development, Bargarh and Bolangir districts have now been declared free of Naxal activities,” Khurania said, adding that the famous Gandhamardhan hills spread across the two districts are also peaceful now.
The Director General of Police informed that sustained joint operations conducted over a long period, meticulous intelligence inputs, coordinated efforts of central and state security forces, and active cooperation of local residents have led to complete elimination of Naxal activities in these two areas.
Khorania said that this major achievement was made possible thanks to the courage, self-restraint and unwavering commitment of the police forces.
The Director General of Police congratulated all the officers and personnel involved in the operations and expressed his gratitude to the people for their trust and continued support.
He further said that similar intensive operations will continue in other affected areas of the state to ensure complete eradication of the Naxal problem at the earliest.
Of the 10 districts previously identified as Maoist-affected in the state, only Kandhamal falls under the security-related expenditure scheme, while the remaining districts have been categorized as ‘other LWE-affected districts’.
With the recent surrender, around 25 Maoists are believed to be still active in the state, mostly in splinter groups in Kandhamal district.
Assistant Director General Sanjeeb Panda said a major operation has been launched in the forests under Dharinbadi and Rekia police station areas in Kandhamal, where Maoist leader Sukru, the most wanted man in the state, is suspected to be hiding.
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