Boudh: In a significant move to curb left wing extremism (LWE) in Odisha, police in Boudh district announced a new inventive scheme and offered cash rewards for providing information about Maoists or capturing them.
Police said notices and posters in this regard have been put up in over nine sensitive areas, including Sigadi, Tilpanga, Udamunda, Matagadu, Khandikhanpa, Luharpada, Nalikumpa, and Palam, under the jurisdictions of Boudh, Kantamal, Baunsuni, and Manmunda police stations.
The posters, issued on the directive of the Boudh Superintendent of Police (SP) Rahul Goel, announced rewards totalling Rs 4.3 crore for information leading to the capture of ten key members of the KKBN (Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh) division of the Maoist outfit.
People have been urged to cooperate with the police by sharing credible information about Maoist movements or hideouts. The notices also include an appeal to Maoists themselves, encouraging them to surrender with assurances of financial incentives and rehabilitation support.
The initiative is part of an intensified district-wide effort to weaken the Maoist network and promote peace in the region. “Our goal is not just enforcement, but also to provide Maoists with an opportunity to return to the mainstream through surrender and rehabilitation,” Boudh SP said.
Officials said police teams have intensified patrolling and intelligence-based operations in the Maoist-affected zones, particularly within the forested areas on the borders with Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts.