Odisha to join hands with Andhra Pradesh to take on Maoists

Odisha and Andhra Pradesh will jointly launch anti-Maoist operations to flush out the rebels from the state, Director General of Police R P Sharma today said.

After returning from Visakhapatnam where he held a meeting with his counterpart in Andhra Pradesh, Sharma said the meeting laid emphasis on coordination between the two states during operations against Left Wing Extremists.

Last year, the two states had jointly conducted a one-off operation against the Maoists in the cut off area of Malkangiri district, known to be a Maoist stronghold.

We have decided at the meeting to undertake joint operations in Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border," Sharma said.

Yesterday, before leaving for Visakhapatnam, Sharma had told reporters that the Odisha police would intensify inteligence-based operations against the Maoists.

Sharma had said the state will also coordinate more closely with other states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand to come down heavily on the Maoists.

He also said efforts are on to further strengthen the intelligence network in Koraput, Nuapada, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Rayagada districts where Maoists pose challange to the state government.

Two days back, the Odisha Police had gunned down at least seven Maoists in separate operations in Bolangir and Kandhamal districts.