Odisha Set To Unleash Fresh Offensive To Wipe Out Naxal Threat
State police to intensify operations with new strategy and public intelligence network Toll-free helpline for citizens to report Naxal movements confidentially and earn rewards
Bhubaneswar: In a decisive move to eradicate the lingering Naxal menace, the Odisha Police is set to launch a renewed and intensified offensive across the state. A new strategic framework will guide the anti-Naxal operations, with a special focus on intelligence-led policing and enhanced public participation.
As part of the initiative, a toll-free helpline number will soon be operational, enabling citizens to confidentially share information on Naxal movements. Informants will be assured of complete secrecy and incentivised with rewards for credible inputs, official sources confirmed.
Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (Anti-Naxal Operations), Sanjeeb Panda, who recently assumed charge of the unit, has outlined a proactive strategy pivoting on real-time surveillance, inter-agency coordination, and heightened intelligence-gathering in vulnerable districts.
Speaking to reporters here, ADG Panda highlighted that the move comes in alignment with Union home minister Amit Shah’s national directive to achieve a Naxal-free India by 2026. The operational blueprint includes intensified combing operations and joint offensives in critical regions along Odisha’s inter-state borders.
“At present, Naxal activities in Odisha are largely concentrated along the triple border of Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Rayagada districts. With active support from district administrations, Special Intelligence Wing (SIW), Special Operations Group (SOG), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and District Voluntary Force (DVF), we will escalate coordinated operations in these and other sensitive pockets,” Panda stated.
The ADG also announced plans to undertake joint operations in border districts like Sundargarh, Koraput, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, and Malkangiri, in collaboration with police forces from neighbouring states such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh.
The intensified crackdown marks a significant step towards dismantling decades of insurgent activity that has plagued several parts of Odisha. It follows a recent administrative reshuffle on July 9, where the State government appointed 1994-batch IPS officer Sanjeeb Panda as the ADG of Anti-Naxal Operations, entrusting him with the crucial responsibility of steering the State’s offensive against the outlawed groups.
