Red menace is still prevailing in four districts of Odisha, said BSF IG Dhaneswar K R Sharma on Thursday.
Addressing a press conference at the FTR HQ, Bhubaneswar, the BSF IG said, “No Naxal-related activity was reported from Malkangiri and Koraput districts in the last three years. But Naxal activities are still being reported from districts like Kandhamal, Boudh, Kalahandi and Nuapada.”
The BSF is steadfastly working to quell the menace. While none of Odisha districts has a cadre Maoist, we have to be more alert in the areas of those districts that are sharing borders with Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, and Jharkhand, he added.
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Now Kandhamal district is in our focus. In January 2023, a battalion stationed in the Rayagada district was moved to the Kandhamal district. And, the district has not reported any Naxal-related activity from January 2023 to the present date.
Notably, the BSF observes its raising day on December 1. This year, it will be observing its 59th raising day.
It is pertinent to mention here that, after a long gap, a banner allegedly put up by Maoists (CPI-M) was found on the outskirts of Durgaprasad village under Bhanjanagar Police limits of Ganjam district on November 12.