Central forces back in Rourkela to thwart Maoist revival plans

Bhubaneswar: Central forces have been redeployed in Rourkela in Sundargarh district to thwart attempts by Maoist to revive their organisation in the region, which was removed from the MHA’s list of districts affected by left-wing extremism (LWE) in 2024.Three CRPF camps, also known as forward operation bases (FOBs), have been established at Topadihi, Langalketa, and Giti Jharan under Rourkela police district in Sundargarh revenue district in the last few days. These locations are strategically positioned along the border with the Naxal-affected West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand.Police sources said central forces were initially withdrawn from Sundargarh in Dec 2023 due to a significant reduction in Maoist activities and violence over several years.

This led to the MHA declaring the district as Maoist-free in March 2024.However, two recent incidents, including the death of a railway employee in a Maoist-triggered landmine blast on Aug 3 and the theft of 5,000 kg of gelatin sticks from a local stone quarry on May 27, prompted a reassessment of the security situation, especially ahead of the Centre’s March 31, 2026 deadline to eliminate Naxalism from the country.

“The FOBs have been strategically placed to prevent Maoist infiltration from West Singhbhum’s Saranda forests.

The presence of these security camps is expected to reassure local residents,” said DIG (western range) Brijesh Kumar Rai.A high-level meeting was recently convened by ADG (anti-Naxal operations) Sanjeeb Panda, IGP (operations) Deepak Kumar, and DIG (special intelligence wing) Akhileshvar Singh, along with DIG Rai and SP (Rourkela) Nitesh Wadhwani.

The meeting focused on developing a comprehensive security strategy to counter Maoist efforts to regain their lost ground.Police sources report that Naxals from West Singhbhum have been active in Rourkela’s K Balang and Lathikata police areas, seeking logistics such as essential commodities, medicines, and food from local markets. They have attempted to expand their influence by spreading fear through posters and soliciting local support.

Additionally, they have tried to extort money from contractors at nearby railway sidings in Rourkela.“With the establishment of security camps in West Singhbhum, Naxals may be attempting to find refuge in Rourkela, using the Saranda forest as a transit route. We have recalibrated our strategy and strengthened our security measures. Their activities will not disrupt our ongoing fight against LWE,” another police officer said.According to Odisha police, the SIW enhanced its intelligence network in the affected areas, with the special operation group (SOG) conducting intelligence-based operations in the Saranda forest to counter the Maoist threat effectively.