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Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Wednesday (March 25, 2026) said that 96% of the Bastar region was free from Maoism and that only 30 to 40 cadres were surviving in the remote areas.
Mr. Sharma made the remarks at a programme held in the wake of the surrender of Maoist commander Papa Rao.
“In the current scenario, no active Maoist of the DKZSC (Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee) rank remains in Chhattisgarh; only a limited number of Naxals — estimated at 30 to 40 — survive in the remote regions of the north and south, and prospects for their speedy rehabilitation have been expressed,” he said.
Mr. Sharma also said that approximately 400 security camps established in the interior regions of Bastar would be phased out and converted into development centres. “In the future, these camps will function as police stations, schools, hospitals, and centres for the collection and processing of minor forest produce, thereby providing local residents with improved opportunities for education, healthcare, and employment, and strengthening the foundation for sustainable development in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a press note, the Bastar Police said that Papa Rao and 17 others — carrying a collective reward of ₹87 lakh — shunned violence and joined the mainstream.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj said that security forces recovered 18 weapons, including AK-47 rifles, SLRs, INSAS rifles, .303 rifles, a 9 mm pistol, a BGL launcher, and ₹12 lakh in cash from the surrendered cadres.
The press note stated that Papa Rao was also known by the aliases Ashok, Sunnam Chandrayya, and Mangu, and his association with the Maoist movement dated back to 1997. “A South sub-zonal bureau secretary (SZCM), he held key operational roles in Bastar,” the note said. He had been in charge of the Pamed-Usur Area Committee and, from 2018, handled operations in West Bastar. He carried a bounty of ₹25 lakh and was armed with an AK-47 rifle, the note added.
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