Bhubaneswar: The Director General of Police for Odisha, Yogesh Bahadur Khurania, stated on Saturday that the State police are fully engaged in efforts to meet the deadline of March 31, 2026, for the eradication of Maoists from India. This declaration followed a meeting with senior officers from the CRPF and BSF in Phulbani, Kandhmal district. “As you are aware, the Union Home Minister has established a deadline to eliminate Maoists from Indian territory. We are progressing in that direction, and today’s meeting assessed our advancements and future strategies,” he mentioned. After visiting Boudh district, the DGP arrived in Kandhamal, the only area in the State still experiencing Maoist activity.
“Consequently, all focus is now on Kandhamal,” noted a senior officer involved in anti-Maoist operations. While there are only a few Odia-speaking individuals in the banned organization currently, the majority of its members originate from neighboring Chhattisgarh, he explained, indicating that local Maoists could number a maximum of eight. To combat Left-Wing Extremism, the State government has initiated actions against ganja cultivation, intensified counter-insurgency measures, and improved developmental initiatives. Khurania remarked, “We have made significant progress in Boudh, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Malkangiri, and Koraput by dismantling ganja cultivation linked to Maoists via their supporters.
Ganja smuggling was their primary funding source, and we have halted this activity.” The State is executing rigorous combing operations with forces such as the Special Operations Group (SOG), District Voluntary Force (DVF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Border Security Force (BSF). Additionally, drone surveillance is being deployed in dense forest regions. Odisha is collaborating closely with law enforcement from neighboring States, particularly Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, to conduct coordinated operations and prevent Maoist groups from utilizing State borders as refuge. Recent achievements include the elimination or capture of prominent Maoist leaders, which has considerably weakened their command and operational capabilities in the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) area.
The Odisha government also has a surrender and rehabilitation policy aimed at encouraging Maoist members to abandon their arms.