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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.

Less people, many choices

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

The dispute over plum departments and guardianship of districts delayed portfolio allocation even after a week

dispute over plum departments

Mumbai: The difficult choice given to cabinet ministers to choose either of the plum departments or the guardianship of the districts of their liking is delaying the portfolio allocation of the ministers in Maharashtra, sources privy of the developments have said.


In the previous government the Shiv Sena as well as the NCP pulled shots. They got almost all they wanted - sometimes even at the cost of the BJP. However, with the massive mandate this time, the BJP is not ready to budge. Apart from a couple of plum departments the BJP wishes to keep all the plum portfolios with itself. Moreover, under the new scheme of arrangements between the alliance partners, the old power sharing formula is being replaced with the new one. This is likely to change the guardian ministers of most of the districts and the BJP has staked claim on guardianship of key districts, which in turn has delayed the portfolio allocation, the sources said.


Pune is one of the key districts that the BJP wants to control. During the previous government finance minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar was also the guardian minister of Pune. However, this time the BJP, which has given two ministerial berths to Pune city in the form of Chandrakant Patil and Madhuri Misal, is keen on controlling the funds allocation in the district by staking claim on the guardian ministership. Pawar is not comfortable with this new arrangement and that is delaying the finalization of portfolios, the sources said.


Pawar wanted to keep both - the finance department as well as the guardianship of the Pune district. However, the BJP has asked him to choose between any one of these two things, the sources said. Pawar is upset due to delay in portfolio allocation. But, he is learnt to have been told that deliberations are going on to ensure there is no display of disgruntlement like the one seen after the cabinet expansion wherein several former ministers expressed disappointment over not being clearly told of being dropped from the cabinet in advance.


Attempts are being made to thoroughly discuss even the finer aspects of the new power sharing formula with as many concerned individuals as possible and to convince them to follow the formula. This is delaying the portfolio allocation, the sources added.


Meanwhile, DCM Eknath Shinde, who is facing ire of his party MLAs after he had to drop at least three of his ministers while he was the CM, mat his party MLAs in a bid to pacify them saying that those who were promised ministerial berth and were not given it stand a chance in the next expansion. However, this has led to speculations whether it was meant just to pacify disgruntled MLAs or some of the ministers in the current cabinet too are likely to be dropped in the due course of time.

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