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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.

Power Bill An Issue

Power Bill An Issue

India’s agriculture sector is heavily dependent on monsoons for natural irrigation. Pumps are used as an artificial means to provide water for farms and plants. Farmers rely on grid electricity or diesel gen-sets to run the pump, which leads to huge delays and economic stress. Hence, for our farmers, an effective irrigation system such as the Solar Water Pump is a great boon. It increases their crop yield by ensuring a reliable and perennial supply of water to their fields. To overcome all the hurdles and combat the pollution, the Maharashtra government took the decision to replace diesel pumps with solar pumps.


After the lengthy discussions, the state government decided to go ahead with this new scheme. The proper strategy was worked out that will also reduce the subsidy burden on electricity bills. The Maharashtra government will distribute 25,000 sun pumps in the first phase of the Atal Solar Agriculture Pump Scheme, 50,000 solar pumps in the second phase, and 25,000 solar pumps in the third phase to farmers to meet their irrigation demands. The state government has set a target to distribute a total of 1,00,000 pumps to farmers over the two years. This initiative aims to provide sustainable energy solutions and promote environmentally friendly farming practices. A solar water pump is an application of photovoltaic technology which converts solar energy into electricity to run the pumping system thereby, replacing erratic grid supply and pollution-causing diesel-powered versions. The solar water pump is powered by solar modules that help draw surface or groundwater out for irrigation.


The Maharashtra Solar Pump Yojana offers various benefits to eligible farmers. Approved applicants will receive a subsidy for solar water pumps, enabling them to utilize renewable energy for irrigation. The scheme details the eligibility criteria which requires certain documents, and the step-by-step process to apply online. This will benefit the farmers as well as the other electricity consumers in many ways like day time power availability for agriculture pumping, decoupling the irrigation sector from power subsidy burden, minimizing cross subsidy burden on Commercial & Industrial electricity consumers, replacement of diesel pumps to reduce pollution.


Farmers having farmland with assured sources of water are eligible. However, the farmers having conventional Electricity connection shall not get the benefit of Solar AG Pump from this scheme. Farmers from areas which are not electrified through conventional sources of energy (by MSEDCL) will get the benefit of this scheme.


Farmers from Remote & Tribal areas can also participate in this scheme. The government has aimed to provide solar water pumps on subsidy basis for agriculture in the state. The government has a vision for ensuring that farmers get water for agriculture even when power is not present in the areas. Solar Pump Kusum Yojana is the much-hyped scheme of the government of Maharashtra.

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