Bhubaneswar: Days after declaring Nuapada district free from Maoist influence, Odisha police on Friday extended the same status to Nabarangpur, following the surrender of the last nine active cadres of the region in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The Maoists, who belonged to Chhattisgarh, included two divisional committee members and carried a combined bounty of Rs 47 lakh. Seven of them are women.“They had been active in Nabarangpur district of Odisha and Dhamtari in Chhattisgarh under the Odisha state committee of CPI (Maoist). With their surrender, we believe Nabarangpur is now free of Maoist presence. However, we will continue to remain vigilant,” said ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda.For decades, Nabarangpur was plagued by Left-wing extremism (LWE), witnessing several violent incidents orchestrated by Maoists. These included the assassination of former BJD MLA Jagabandhu Majhi and his personal security officer P K Patro on Sept 24, 2011, and the attack on Kundei police station in Raigarh block on July 16, 2010.Police clarified that none of the surrendered cadres were directly involved in those incidents from 15 to 16 years ago. The development marks a significant achievement for Odisha police, aligning with the Centre’s target of eliminating LWE nationwide by March 31.Police authorities noted that Nabarangpur, which borders Chhattisgarh, did not report Maoist-related activity for the past 5 years. Of Odisha’s 30 districts, Maoist influence now remains confined to pockets in just 7 districts of Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Balangir, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Boudh.
