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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.

Passing On The Baton

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For this first time since 1995, Katol will see a new face seeking votes from the people. Days after Anil Deshmukh, who has represented the constituency since 1995, was named by the NCP (SP) as its candidate from this Vidarbha seat, the party replaced his nomination with that of his son, Salil. The reasons are best known to the Deshmukh family and the party. Insiders claim that the son’s insistence and desire to make his electoral debut forced Deshmukh to convince his party. But the former home minister claimed that the Mahayuti was finding technical reasons to disqualify his nomination Salil Deshmukh, son of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, is contesting the polls from the constituency that his father has represented for the past three decades. The father-son duo has been campaigning hard in the sweltering October heat. The stakes are high for the family; in 2021, the senior Deshmukh was arrested on charges of corruption and jailed for 13 months. He had to resign earlier following allegations of misusing his position for money laundering.


Deshmukh began his political career in Nagpur as chairman of the Nagpur Zilla Parishad as a Congressman. In 1995, he rebelled against Congress party leadership after he was denied a ticket and contested as an Independent candidate and won. That year, he lent support to the Shiv Sena-BJP government and was made the minister of state for education. When Sharad Pawar launched the NCP in 1999, Deshmukh joined him and held various positions in the government such as the minister for school education, information, sports, public works, excise and civil supplies, among other key departments. In 2014, he lost the legislative assembly elections to his nephew Ashish Deshmukh. Five years later, he returned to the council of ministers when the MVA formed the government and was given charge of the all-important home ministry.


His career saw reforms in education and the setting up of the Maharashtra Bhushan Award but was marred by serious charges of corruption in 2021 when he was forced to resign. Deshmukh stayed with the NCP (SP) during the split in the party affirmed his loyalty to the party. His nomination from Katol in the NCP (SP)’s first list was seen as an affirmation of his party’s faith in him.

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