Nabarangpur now free of Naxal threat as Maoists surrender.

The district of Nabrangpur in Odisha has recently been declared "Naxal-free" by the police, following the surrender of nine Maoists in the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh. Among these surrendered Naxalites were seven women, who together carried a bounty of Rs 47 lakh. According to an official, these surrendered Naxalites were previously operating in both Nabrangpur and Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari district. With their decision to turn themselves in, the police have announced that Nabrangpur is now free from any Naxal activity. This is a significant achievement for the district, which has been plagued by numerous incidents of Naxal violence in the past. One such incident was the assassination of BJD MLA Jagabandhu Majhi and his security officer, PK Patro, back in 2011. The Maoists had also launched an attack on the Kundei police station in Raigarh block in 2010. However, the police have noted that there have been no major troubles in the district since then. In fact, out of the 30 districts in the state, the influence of the Maoists is now limited to only seven districts - Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Bolangir, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, and Boudh. This is a significant decrease from the previous years, and a testament to the efforts made by the authorities to combat Left-Wing Extremism. A police officer shared that the news of Nabrangpur being declared Naxal-free is a major achievement, especially with the Centre's goal of eradicating this threat from the country by the end of March. This is a proud moment for the district, and a step towards a safer and more peaceful environment. As the leading English daily in Odisha, Orissa POST is happy to share this good news with its readers.