Bhubaneswar, Feb 23 (AHN) With the deadline for the complete eradication of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) approaching, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said on Monday that as many as 40 Maoists are currently active in various parts of the state.

The Chief Minister told the State Assembly while answering a query asked by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Dhruba Charan Sahoo.

Chief Minister Majhi told that at present, around 40 active Maoists are operating in small groups in certain areas of Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Boudh, Balangir, and Bargarh districts.

In his reply, he also added that due to concerted effort by the security forces there has been a gradual improvement in the situation arising out of the Maoist problem in the state.

He said that as per the current status under the Union government's Security Related Expenditure Scheme, only Kandhamal district has been placed under the category of "Other LWE Affected District", areas experiencing moderate to low levels of Maoist violence, while the remaining eight districts -- Malkangiri, Koraput, Nuapada, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Boudh, and Balangir -- have been categorised under "Legacy and Thrust" districts.

The districts categorised as "Legacy districts" are no longer significantly affected by the LWE violence, while "Thrust districts" are those where there is a possibility of expansion of Maoist activities.

The Chief Minister noted that the state government is working towards resolving the Maoist problem in Odisha by the deadline of March 31, 2026, set by the Union government.

He also highlighted various steps being taken by the state government to completely eradicate LWE in India.

According to the Chief Minister Majhi's reply, 71 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces, 44 Special Operations Group (SOG) teams, about 839 personnel of the District Voluntary Force (DVF), 40 platoons of the India Reserve Battalion, 29 platoons of the Special Security Battalion, and more than 92 platoons of the Odisha Special Striking Force (comprising ex-servicemen) have been deployed in the affected areas.

The Odisha Police is also regularly carrying out intelligence-based operations and preventive area domination operations carried out in the nine Maoist-affected areas.

Drones, interceptors, modern weapons, and advanced communication equipment are being used in anti-Maoist operations.

Two Maoists have been neutralised in the Kandhamal district of Odisha on February 22.

Following neutralisation of the Maoists, the security forces are carrying out massive combing operations in Nandabadi jungle in the Kandhamal district.