Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Director General of Police (DGP) YB Khurania proclaimed Balangir and Bargarh to be Naxal-free districts on Sunday, marking a significant victory for Odisha Police’s ongoing anti-Naxal operations. Fifteen members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund (BBM) section turned themselves in to the police in the Mahasamund district of neighboring Chhattisgarh hours earlier. According to the DGP, Bargarh and Balangir are now free of Naxal activity after their surrender. According to Khurania, the total eradication of Naxal activity from these two districts was made possible by coordinated efforts by state and federal security forces, accurate information inputs, combined operations carried out over an extended period of time, and active collaboration from local populations.
The DGP praised the police force’s bravery, self-control, and unshakable dedication. Khurania also thanked the public for their continuing support and trust, and complimented all of the officers and staff involved in the operations. “To ensure the full eradication of the Naxal problem as soon as possible, similar intensified operations will continue in other affected areas of the state,” the DGP said.
