BHUBANESWAR: Days after left-wing extremists (LWEs) looted about 5 tonne explosives from a truck headed to a stone quarry in Sundargarh, Odisha government is mulling to revive Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camps in the district to avoid resurgence of Naxal activity.
Sources said, the state police may soon request the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in this regard.
Security measures were massively scaled down in Sundargarh after the district was removed from the Centre’s security related expenditure (SRE) scheme last year.
The strength of Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) was reduced too, as Sundargarh did not witness Naxal activity in the last few years.
“Preliminary investigation suggests a group led by Naxalite Anmol alias Lalchand Hembram was behind the loot of the explosives. It was possibly an act of desperation. The left ultras were apprehensive that security forces will turn their focus on Maoist hotbed Saranda forests after Abujhmad in Chhattisgarh with the Centre aiming to eradicate Maoism by March, 2026,” said the sources.
In such circumstances, the state police is unwilling to let its guards down and take strong preventive measures to ensure Sundargarh does not report resurgence of Maoist activity.
Since the district will not be covered under the SRE scheme, the government is likely to request the MHA to set up CRPF camps near eight villages in the state bordering Jharkhand, sources added. “It might require recalibration of the forces deployed in Jharkhand and additional support,” said the sources.
Odisha Police has already enhanced deployment of SOG in Sundargarh. The State Police Headquarters has also asked the district police to improve intelligence collection related to movement of the Naxals in the bordering areas of Odisha and Jharkhand to prevent infiltration bids by the left ultras.
Earlier in the day, DGP YB Khurania told mediapersons here that the security forces recovered about 3.8 tonne of explosives looted by the Naxals. “A special investigation team led by an additional SP rank officer is probing the case. Joint operations with Jharkhand police will continue to recover the remaining volume of the explosives,” he said.
On May 27, members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) operating from Saranda forests in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand looted the explosives, prompting the Odisha Police to enhance security in Sundargarh district.