Bhubaneswar, March 1 (IANS) Odisha Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania on Sunday officially declared Balangir and Bargarh as LWE-free districts following the surrender of 15 Maoists in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
According to state police, the development marks a milestone in the state’s ongoing anti-LWE operations. The 15 Maoists laid down their arms and joined the mainstream during a special event in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, which shares a border with Odisha’s Bargarh district.
Police sources said the surrendered cadres were active in the Bargarh–Balangir–Mahasamund division. They added that with the surrender of the 15 ultras in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, both Bargarh and Balangir have now been declared free of Naxal activities.
“Sustained joint operations conducted over a prolonged period, precise intelligence inputs, coordinated efforts of Central and state security forces and active cooperation from local residents have led to the complete elimination of Naxal activities from these two districts,” DGP Khurania said.
He stated that the achievement was made possible due to the courage, restraint and commitment of the police force. On the occasion, he congratulated all officers and personnel involved in the operations and expressed gratitude to the public for their trust and continued support.
Khurania added that similar intensified operations would continue in other affected areas of the state to ensure the complete eradication of the Naxal problem at the earliest.
The Odisha Police had earlier declared Malkangiri, Koraput, Boudh, Nuapada and Nabarangpur as LWE-free districts.
Villagers in Odisha’s once Maoist-dominated hinterlands have recently dismantled memorial structures erected by the Maoist organisation, signalling a shift in the internal security landscape of the state.
Meanwhile, with the deadline set for the complete eradication of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) approaching, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on February 23 stated that around 40 Maoists are currently active in various parts of the state.
--IANS
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