Bhubaneswar: The Gandhamardan hills, which straddle Balangir and Bargarh districts, is bracing for a possible anti-Maoist operation with security forces taking positions following intelligence inputs that around 10 Maoists are believed to be hiding in the rugged terrain. Police sources revealed that the group of Naxalites, led by state committee member Sudarshan (64), alias Bikash, a native of Telangana, has taken shelter in the hill range in a bid to revive the weakened base of Maoists in the region.“We have mobilised our full resources across the Gandhamardan hills to foil any plan of the Maoists. Their number is negligible,” said ADG (anti-Naxalite operations) Sanjeeb Panda.According to police officers, the Maoists belong to the Balangir-Bargarh-Mahasamund division, which operates along the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border. The division has been severely weakened in recent years owing to intensified police operations, resulting in multiple surrenders and deaths. Security forces have mounted surveillance on possible transit and escape routes along the Balangir-Bargarh-Chhattisgarh border. Police warned that Maoists have little choice but to surrender or face elimination in encounters.“We have deployed the district voluntary force, special operations group and Central Reserve Police Force in the hill range. Intelligence-based operations are underway. We welcome surrender by Maoists but if they resist, we will use force. We are committed to meeting the Centre’s deadline to eliminate Left-wing extremism by March 31.” Last week, Panda chaired a meeting with IGP (northern range) Himansu Lal, DIG (special intelligence wing) Akhileshvar Singh, Balangir SP Abilash G and Bargarh SP Prahalad Meena to fine-tune the blueprint of the Gandhamardan operation.The state police said Maoists should take benefits of the govt’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. Since the launch of the revised policy for Maoists on Nov 27, 2025, at least 45 cadres have laid down arms, making them eligible for benefits worth a total of Rs 6.5 crore. Of this, nearly Rs 4.5 crore accounts for the bounty carried on their heads, while an additional Rs 2 crore will be extended as instant cash incentives and rewards for surrendering weapons.
