BHUBANESWAR: While Union Home Minister Amit Shah has reaffirmed his commitment to eradicate the Maoist problem from affected states by 2026, the BJP government in Odisha, under the leadership of Mohan Charan Majhi, has also begun developing a comprehensive strategy to eliminate Maoism from the state. In addition to planning to deploy more security forces against the Maoists, the Odisha government is creating a special initiative to ensure that the benefits of various welfare schemes from both the central and state governments reach all affected areas.
It is often observed that Maoists extend their influence in regions where government welfare schemes fail to reach the people. They exploit this situation to mislead local villagers into supporting them. With this in mind, the Mohan Majhi government of Odisha is formulating a sensitive and holistic approach to address the issue of red terrorism.
An initiative named “GRAMODAYA” is being launched to implement various schemes in saturation mode in naxalite affected villages within the state. This aims to ensure that 100 per cent of all government schemes are accessible to the residents of 583 villages across 10 districts impacted by left-wing extremism. To promote the overall development of these areas, the state government is introducing this special programme called “GRAMODAYA.”
All departments must ensure that 100 per cent of government schemes are provided to the people of 583 villages across 10 districts affected by red terrorism. A State Level Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary, will oversee this initiative. The ten districts impacted by LWE are Bargarh, Balangir, Kalahandi, Boud, Kandhamal, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, and Raygada. These 583 villages have been identified for the delivery of 100 per cent of the benefits from all government schemes through this special programme, which aims to bring together all state government departments in a convergent approach.
This program has two main components: 100 per cent benefit of all government schemes to every village/community level and 100 per cent benefit of all government schemes to every individual/household. In this special program , all the departments of the state government will work together in convergence to implement the schemes in saturation mode.
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The Panchayatiraj and Drinking Water Department will serve as the nodal department for this initiative. To ensure proper implementation, a dashboard will be developed for real-time monitoring of the Maoists. A monitoring committee, led by the Chief Secretary, will operate at the state level, with all secretaries from various departments as members. At the district level, the committee will be composed of district-level officials and will be chaired by the Collector.
At the block level, the committee will be comprised of block-level officials and will be chaired by the Block Development Officer (BDO). To implement “GRAMODAYA” at the grassroots level, special awareness campaigns, Gram Sabhas, grievance hearings, and outreach activities will be conducted. A collaborative effort involving government agencies and the local community will be ensured to facilitate the effective implementation of this initiative.
The Odisha Government is taking the Maoist threat very seriously and adopting a comprehensive approach to address this issue. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi participated in a crucial meeting of states affected by Maoism, chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on October 7. During this meeting, he requested the Centre to provide 12 companies of security personnel and one helicopter to strengthen the fight against the Maoists.
In addition to seeking more security forces for the Maoist-affected areas in the state, the Odisha Government has also requested support from the Central Government to improve connectivity.
“A list of 127 vital roads in LWE-affected areas has been submitted to the Government of India through Home Department letter No. 902/C, dated July 6, 2024. These road projects will significantly enhance connectivity in these regions and facilitate effective operations by Security Forces against the Maoism. We request that this be considered as soon as possible,” CM Majhi stated during the meeting in New Delhi.
The seriousness of the Odisha government regarding Maoism is evident from the two-day conference held in Bhubaneswar at the end of last September, which brought together District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police. During this meeting, a comprehensive strategy and roadmap for making the state free from Maoism were discussed in detail. The administration was instructed to adopt a more sensitive approach when working in Maoist-affected areas.
