Only 60-70 Maoists active in Odisha, most of them from Andhra, Chhattisgarh: BSF officer

Bhubaneswar: Maoist activities have come down substantially in Odisha over the last few years, and only 60-70 members of the proscribed organisation are active in the state, a senior BSF officer said.

Addressing a press conference on Saturday, BSF IG (Frontier HQ - Special Ops) CD Aggarwal said most of the active Maoists in Odisha belong to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

"Only seven of them are from Odisha and they are not in any leadership roles," he said.

According to the Union Home Ministry, seven districts -- Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Rayagada, have been categorised as Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected but Maoist activities are mostly confined to the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) region, he said.

"While significant progress has been made, challenges remain, particularly in the dense forests of Kalahandi, Kandhamal and Boudh where IED threats persist. Additionally, the socio-economic impact of Naxal-linked narcotics trafficking, especially Ganja cultivation, poses new hurdles," Aggarwal said.

He said BSF was first deployed in Odisha in 2010 when Naxal violence was at its peak.

"The BSF has conducted anti-Maoist operations in some of the most treacherous terrains and neutralised 250-300 Naxalites, recovered arms and explosives and facilitated the surrender of hard-core cadres," he said.

"In 2024, three dreaded Naxalites were neutralised and 24 hardcore cadres surrendered. Besides, 34 IEDs, 117 grenades, and a large cache of arms and ammunition were seized in the state," he added.

Aggarwal said one of the most significant achievements for the force was transforming the erstwhile cut-off area into 'Swabhiman Anchal'.

"The BSF is committed to eradicating Naxalism from Odisha by March 2026, with enhanced coordination with Odisha Police and intelligence agencies, deployment of advanced technologies like drones and satellite surveillance and strengthening community engagement," he said.

Fourteen BSF personnel gave their lives while combating Maoists in Odisha since 2010, he said.