Post News Network
Berhampur, Sept 9: Maoist activities have declined to a great extent in South Orissa as the police have achieved success in combating insurgent forces following extensive combing and surrender of several Maoist cadres, said director general of police (DGP) Sanjeev Marik here Wednesday.
Addressing the media at district police headquarters during his one-day visit to Ganjam, Marik claimed that Ganjam and Gajapati districts have become free of Maoist menace while the presence of ultras has remained limited to remote areas of Kandhamal and Boudh districts. A strong strategy is being adopted to curb their activities, he said.
Marik said commisionerate policing system will soon be implemented in Berhampur. Besides, four more police stations to deal with cyber crime-related cases will be established in the state, one of them in Berhampur, he added.
In south Orissa, the ultras are luring gullible tribals into their fold with various offerings and forcing them to work as sympathizers, Marik said. However, the ultras have been able to influence only the semi-literate and school dropouts, but failed to influence the educated ones. The state police, in its bid to reach out to the people living in remote regions, has been organising various awareness programmes on regular basis.
The number of Oriya cadres in the Maoist outfit active in the state has come down to below 15 per cent. The ultras operating in Malkangiri and Koraput are of Andhra Pradesh cadre while their counterparts in Bolangir and Nuapada are from Chhattisgarh, Marik said.
Apart from adopting Ama police, community policing, citizen portal systems and opening women and child desks in every police station, the state police has recently launched anti-human trafficking units in every police district. Cases of girls and women who remain untraced for over two months will be handed over to these units. This year, 15 more police stations are likely to be opened and the jurisdictions of various police stations are being reorganised, Marik said, adding attempts are being made to fill vacant posts.
DIG (South) Amitabh Thakur, Ganjam SP Narsingh Bhol and Berhampur SP Sarthak Sarangi were present at the press meet.