BSF committed to eradicate Maoists from Odisha by March 2026: IG

BHubaneswar, The BSF is committed to eradicate Maoists from Odisha by process 2026, which is a top out in operation(p) place of the drive, a senior officer of the paramilitary force said here on Saturday.Speaking to media persons, BSF IG Shiv Aadhar Shrivastava said, “We are conducting technology-driven, hard-hint-based, meaningful operations in association with Odisha police and other central armed police forces to eradicate Maoists from the state by March 2026."One of the most celebrated achievements is transforming the erstwhile cut-off region, once a Maoist hotbed, into Swabhiman Anchal, he said.Now, BSF personnel have been redeployed in the district of Kandhamal. New units have been set up, and anti-Maoist operations are being carried out for longer duration in difficult terrain, the IG said.BSF has been operating anti-Maoist operations in Odisha since 2010. At present, six battalions of the force have been deployed in Koraput, Malkangiri, Boudh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Rayagada and Nabarangpur districts of the state, he said.So far, during the operations in Odisha, the BSF has achieved significant milestones, including neutralisation of 86 Maoists, arrest of 710 Maoists, surrender of 2,508 Maoists and their supporters. Besides, 566 IEDs and live bombs were defused, he said.The operations are being conducted with specific intelligence input given by the state police and particularly blocking the routes the Maoists have adopted to get into Odisha from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, the BSF officer said.The redeployment has weakened the Maoists and forced them to surrender before the police and join the mainstream of society, he said.Srivastava said, "Our commitment has been very comprehensive. Beyond the battlefield, we recognise the greatest bulwark against extremism is the trust and prosperity of the local population."The BSF conducted a series of operations, and at the same time, a number of civic action and tribal youth exchange programmes were held, he added.Shrivastava said the state government's surrender policy with a 10 per cent additional incentive will encourage Maoists to return to the mainstream.While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, particularly in the dense forests of Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Boudh, where Maoist presence and IED threat persist. Additionally, the socio-economic impact of Maoist-linked narcotics trafficking and ganja cultivation poses a hurdle, said another BSF officer.The BSF is going to celebrate its 61st Raising Day on December 1 this year.This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.