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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.

Thrust on Rural Schemes

Prime Minister

Just a year ago, the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi launched 511 Pramod Mahajan Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras in Maharashtra via video conferencing. Established across 34 rural districts of Maharashtra, these Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. While launching this scheme the Prime Minister said, this is a huge step for the skill development of millions of youth making this day a memorable one.


While announcing this scheme the state government declared that the Grameen Kaushalya Vikas Kendras will conduct skill development training programs across various sectors to provide employment opportunities to rural youth. Each Kendra will train about 100 youngsters in at least two vocational courses. The training will be provided by empanelled industry partners and agencies under the National Skill Development Council. The establishment of these Kendras will help the region attain significant strides towards developing a more competent and skilled manpower.


Prior to this there were no skill development centers in 28,000 gram panchayats (village councils) in Maharashtra. The plan is aligned with the Indian government’s vision for skill development. The increase in the number of such skill development centers will prevent rural youth from migrating to cities in search of employment opportunities. This initiative, to be executed by the Skill Development Society, which. aims to enhance employability for individuals aged 15 to 45 by establishing 100 new skill development centers across the state. The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent inauguration of 511 Skill Development Centers simultaneously—the first of its kind in India. The upcoming 100 centers, set to launch in the new year, will expedite the creation of a skilled generation in Maharashtra. Colleges hosting these centers will have the autonomy to select courses tailored for local employment needs, ensuring alignment with the National Skill Qualification Framework.


Emphasizing the need for new skills for India’s agriculture sector, the Prime Minister pushed for natural farming to protect Mother Earth. During this event, he talked about the need for skills to assess balanced irrigation, agricultural-product processing, packaging, branding, and skilling people to get connected with the online world. “Various governments of the country will have to further expand their scope of skill development”, Prime Minister Modi had added.


Excellent scheme, much hyped and published by the Mahayuti government, remains today on paper. Series of meetings took place in the Skill Development department. Challenges faced in setting up 511 centers were reviewed and discussed. In one of the meetings it was also decided that the government officials should take the inspection instead of private organisations. Government is spending 13,000 crore rupees on this and in Maharashtra, 500 plus skill centers will take forward this skill development program in the state.

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