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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.

Malnutrition the Problem

Malnutrition

To curb the infant mortality rate and reduce the percentage of malnutrition, the Maharashtra government took a decision for the newborns. The state government will distribute ‘Chief Minister baby care kits’ to the infants born in government hospitals and Public Health Centers (PHC’s) in the state. The intention behind the somewhat less publicised scheme is good but lets see how it travels across the state.


The Department of women and child development has claimed that out of the 20 lakh pregnant women (8 lakh in urban areas & 12 lakh in rural areas) who give birth annually, only 50 percent of such women get their names registered in the state health care centres and government hospitals. Moreover, around 4 lakh are first time mothers. As per this new Baby Care Kit Scheme, mothers of new born babies would be provided with baby care kits to encourage them to give birth to their child in hospitals. This would ensure that the children gets mother’s milk and proper nourishment. Such a scheme is operating in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana and it has shown good results in those states. This scheme in Maharashtra will ensure that the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is reduced in the state. The Department has made the provision of Rs. 80 crore to provide the kits under this Scheme.


The kits will be distributed to all the women by the state government after their first delivery. The Chief Minister baby care kits will be distributed to pregnant and lactating mothers. The scheme is being implemented through the integrated child development services project and health department. The prime motive is to decrease the infant mortality rate. According to senior officials of the department many times, the newborn babies are placed on the floor in the tribal areas. Due to this the babies fell ill for want of warmth. So in order to take care of these infants, the Anganwadi Sevikas and other health employees are giving training to the mothers. At the same time providing warmth to the Infant and keeping them neat and tidy is also necessary and inevitable. So it was decided to give some items required to the mother and the newborn babies.


Considering all the requirements the Baby Care Kit is designed. This comprises baby clothes, a Small bed, towel, plastic diaper (Nappies), body massage oil, thermometer, mosquito net, woollen blanket, shampoo, nail cutter, hand gloves, socks, body wash liquid, hand sanitizer, woollen clothes for mother and small toys. The items in the kit which would cost around Rs. 2,000 in the market. For this scheme, the government has sanctioned Rs 20 crore in the first phase and the provision will be increased in the near future. This scheme will be implemented in the entire state for all the sections of the society. These kits are to be distributed free of charge for all the mothers who will be giving birth to the babies in government Primary Health Centre and government hospitals.

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