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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated,...

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated, highlighting the dramatic turnaround. He revealed that from approximately 100 Maoist cadres on record in January 2024, the number has plummeted to barely 10 individuals whose movements are now confined to a very small pocket of the Bhamragad sub-division in South Gadchiroli, near the Chhattisgarh border. “North Gadchiroli is now free of Maoism. The Maoists have to surrender and join the mainstream or face police action... there is no other option.” The SP attributes this success to a meticulously executed multi-pronged strategy encompassing intensified anti-Maoist operations, a robust Civic Action Programme, and the effective utilisation of Maharashtra’s attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The Gadchiroli Police, especially the elite C-60 commandos, have achieved significant operational milestones. In the last three years alone, they have neutralised 43 hardcore Maoists and achieved a 100 per cent success rate in operations without police casualties for nearly five years. SP Neelotpal highlighted that the security forces have aggressively moved to close the “security vacuum,” which was once an estimated 3,000 square kilometres of unpoliced territory used by Maoists for training and transit. The establishment of eight new police camps/Forward Operating Bases (FoBs) since January 2023, including in the remote Abujhmad foothills, has been crucial in securing these areas permanently. Winning Hearts, Minds The Civic Action Programme has been deemed a “game changer” by the SP. Through schemes like ‘Police Dadalora Khidaki’ and ‘Project Udaan’, the police have transformed remote outposts into service delivery centres, providing essential government services and employment opportunities. This sustained outreach has successfully countered Maoist propaganda and, most critically, resulted in zero Maoist recruitment from Gadchiroli for the last few years. Surrender Wave The state’s progressive rehabilitation policy has seen a massive influx of surrenders. “One sentiment is common among all the surrendered cadres: that the movement has ended, it has lost public support, and without public support, no movement can sustain,” the SP noted. The surrender of key figures, notably that of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias ‘Bhupathi,’ a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member, and his wife Sangeeta, was a “landmark development” that triggered a surrender wave. Since June 2024, over 126 Maoists have surrendered. The rehabilitation program offers land, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and employment. Surrendered cadres are receiving skill training and are successfully transitioning into normal life, with around 70 already employed in the local Lloyds plant. A District Reborn The transformation of Gadchiroli is now moving beyond security concerns. With the decline of extremism, the district is rapidly moving towards development and normalcy. The implementation of development schemes, round-the-clock electricity, water supply, mobile towers, and new infrastructure like roads and bridges is being given top priority. He concludes that the police’s focus is now shifting from an anti-Maoist offensive to routine law-and-order policing, addressing new challenges like industrialisation, theft, and traffic management. With the Maoist movement in “complete disarray” and major strongholds like the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone collapsing, the SP is highly optimistic. Gadchiroli is not just getting rid of the Naxal menace; it is embracing its future as a developing, peaceful district, well on track to meet the central government’s goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

Fearing loss of face Ajit sticks to Baramati

Updated: Oct 25, 2024

Baramati

Mumbai: Ending speculations over his shifting out of family bastion, Baramati Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Ajit Pawar on Wednesday announced that he will continue from his traditional seat in the Assembly election.


Pawar released the first list of 38 NCP candidates.


It was speculated that Pawar may shift to Ambegaon since Baramati was no longer a safe seat for him. His wife Sunetra, who lost the Lok Sabha election, was trailing in Baramati Assembly segment by more than 60,000 votes. That was an alarming bell for Pawar.


“If he had shifted from Baramati that would have sent a wrong message to his supporters across the state,” a senior NCP leader said. “Remember, Ajit dada had won with highest margin in the state in 2019 elections from Baramati only. He moving out the base would definitely had affected the party workers’ morale.”


No surprises

The announcement of the first list of the candidates was made by NCP’s Maharashtra president Sunil Tatkare. The list of 38 candidates comprises sitting MLAs who shifted their allegiance to Ajit Pawar during the split in the NCP. All nine ministers currently serving in the Mahayuti government have been given the tickets.


Chhagan Bhujbal from Yeola, Dilip Walse Patil from Ambegaon, Dhananjay Munde from Parli, Hasan Mushrif from Kagal, Dharmrao Atram from Aheri, Aditi Tatkare from Shrivardhan, Anil Patil from Amalner, and Sanjay Bansode from Udgir. Deputy Speaker of state assembly Narhari Zirwal has been fielded from Dindori.


Former Congress MLAs who joined the NCP recently were also named in the list, including a ticket to Hiraman Khoskar from Igatpuri and Shulbha Khodke from Amravati. Both of them are former Congress MLAs who joined the NCP (Ajit Pawar) recently. Khodke was expelled from the Congress on October 12 this year. Khoskar joined the party on the night of October 14. The list also includes BJP leader and former minister Rajkumar Badole, who joined the party a couple of days before. Badole will contest from the Arjuni-Morgaon assembly constituency in Gondia district.


Nevertheless, absent from the first list are candidates for any of Mumbai’s 36 seats. Senior NCP leader Nawab Malik, who is considering running from Mankhurd-Shivaji Nagar, and his daughter Sana Malik, a potential candidate for the Anushakti Nagar seat, were not included in the first list. In Mumbra-Kalwa constituency Najeeb Mulla will be the party’s candidate. He will take on NCP (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad who is sitting MLA from this constituency.


This election is a bigger challenge for Ajit Pawar faction to overcome the setback it faced in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Contesting four of the state’s 48 Lok Sabha seats earlier this year, the NCP could only win one.

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