Bhubaneswar: BSF’s Assistant Director General (ADG) Ashish Gupta called upon the personnel of the force to maintain cordial relations with locals. Gupta also asked the forces to be updated about the presence of Naxals in the areas of deployment for effective operations. The ADG was on a three-day visit to Koraput and Malkangiri districts of Odish. Ashish Gupta also assessed the security situation and operational preparedness of the forces against Maoist activities.
Accompanied by senior officers, Gupta first visited the Company Operating Base (COB) at Kartanpalli in Malkangiri along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh Border. He interacted with the troops and asked them to maintain cordial relations with the local population. He also told them to be aware about the presence of Naxals in the areas of deployment for effective operations, an official statement said.
Gupta also visited the Swabhimaan Anchal in the Malkangiri district. Interacting with the personnel at the Vantalguda COB, Gupta praised the troops for establishing a base in the inaccessible and sensitive Swabhimaan Anchal, once a Maoist stronghold. He also interacted with civillians and distributed sweets among the local children.
The ADG also took a ride on a patrol boat on the Balimela reservoir, and an aerial tour of the Bejjangewarha Reserve Forest to assess the Naxal situation at the tri-junction of Odisha-Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh. He also complimented the proactive approach of BSF in undertaking humanitarian assistance to locals.