Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has stated that Maoist presence in the state has been reduced to a minimal level, with only around 15 extremists currently active in the border regions of Kandhamal, Kalahandi, and Rayagada districts.
Replying to a query by Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati in the State Assembly on Monday, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said that these Maoists are confined to remote tri-junction areas and that no significant presence exists elsewhere in the state.
Citing the Centre’s Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, Majhi informed that currently only Kandhamal district is officially classified as Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected in Odisha. Eight other districts — Boudh, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Rayagada — fall under the “legacy and thrust” (L&T) category.
“Barring the presence of around 15 Maoists in the Kandhamal-Kalahandi-Rayagada border areas, there is no Maoist activity in any other part of the state,” the Chief Minister, who also holds the Home portfolio, asserted.
Highlighting the state’s counter-insurgency and rehabilitation efforts, Majhi said that a total of 96 Maoists have surrendered between 2024 and March 15, 2026.
Under the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, former Maoists are being provided financial assistance, housing support, monthly stipends, vocational training for up to 36 months, marriage assistance, and access to healthcare and ration facilities to facilitate their reintegration into mainstream society.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to completely eliminate Maoist influence, Majhi said, “Our goal is to make Odisha entirely Maoist-free by March 31, 2026.”
