Maoist menace to be history in Odisha after this month: CM

<p> Bhubaneswar, Mar 25 (PTI): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday asserted that the Maoist menace would be a history after this month and said 27 red rebels have been killed in the state since the beginning of 2025.</p><p>During a discussion in the assembly on the 2026-27 budget demand for the Home and General Administration & Public Grievance Department, he said 77 Maoists have also surrendered in the state from the start of 2025 to March 24 this year.</p><p>During this period, the Odisha Police has achieved unprecedented success in "eliminating 27 CPI (Maoist) cadres, including two of its central committee members, through continuous anti-naxal operations".</p><p>The government is making meaningful efforts to integrate the surrendered Maoists into the mainstream of society, he said.</p><p>“On Tuesday, the last Maoist leader of the state, Sukuru, was also forced to surrender. The number of Maoists in Odisha has reached single digits. The Maoist menace will be a history after March this year. Our government is ready to provide everything that is required for the police administration to free Odisha from Naxals,” the chief minister said.</p><p>Referring to the allegation of increasing crimes against women in Odisha, the CM said that not a single act of violence or harassment against women is acceptable to him.</p><p>“Our government is working hard to stop violence against women. The state government is committed to providing justice to victims of rape in particular. We adopt a zero-tolerance policy and are committed to creating a safe environment for women,” Majhi said.</p><p>The chief minister noted that during the 18 months of the state’s BJP government, from July 2024 to December 2025, a total of 48,789 cases of crimes against women were registered in the state, while in the previous 18 months, the figure was 48,787.</p><p>“It is clear that the crimes against women have remained almost stable as compared to the previous government," he pointed out.</p><p>Majhi claimed that while there has been a decline of rape cases by 3.5 per cent, the cases of misconduct, involving women, have decreased by 2.2 per cent.</p><p>Similarly, there has been a 7.4 per cent reduction in murder cases, a 12.8 per cent decline in robbery cases, and a 25.7 per cent fall in riot cases.</p><p>Alleging that the opposition BJD has indulged in politics over crimes against women, the chief minister said, “If one gives the details of the rate of conviction in rape cases, many in the Opposition will lower their heads in shame." The conviction rate of cases related to violence against women in 2022 was only 9.2 per cent, which, instead of improving, fell to 6.7 per cent the next year.</p><p>“The 24-year-old BJD government, which was beating the drums of good governance, has completely failed to provide justice to women,” Majhi alleged.</p><p>In the first six months of 2025, the chief minister claimed, the conviction rate of cases of violence against women was 41 per cent.</p><p>"In June, it increased to 62 per cent. This conviction rate was probably the highest in the country," he said.</p><p>“Today, I want to assure all women of the state that the perpetrators of violence and torture against them will get their place in jail," he said.</p><p>Majhi said his government has "never shown any soft attitude towards criminals like the previous government".</p><p>“In the previous government, police personnel were not able to take action freely against perpetrators of such crimes, but I have given them full authority. The police are now working in accordance with the law and without political pressure,” the chief minister said.</p><p>Majhi said the BJP government has adopted a zero tolerance on corruption, and stressed that "citizen-centric governance is our focus". PTI AAM AAM BDC</p><p><i>(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)</i></p>

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