In a significant breakthrough for Odisha’s internal security, Rayagada SP Swathi S. Kumar announced that the district is now free of active Maoist movement.
Following the high-profile surrender of the Nikhil-Indur couple, intensified combing operations across the Kandhamal and Kalahandi borders led to the seizure of shotguns, 415 detonators, and electronic equipment.
ADG Sanjiv Panda confirmed that the state’s mission has successfully met its targets, with the number of Maoist-affected districts dropping from nine to just one.
Data reveals that 156 Maoists have been neutralized through elimination, arrest, or surrender across Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
With the official surrender deadline now expired, the ADG issued a stern warning: any remaining insurgents will face "strict action."
Security forces remain on high alert, maintaining a 24/7 vigil on state borders to ensure this hard-won peace remains permanent. The era of Naxal influence in Rayagada has officially come to an end.