Around 99 per cent of hitherto impregnable Maoists’ epicenters in Swabhiman Anchala of Malkangiri district are freed of Naxal activities with the steady weakening of left-wing extremism in the region, said a senior official of the State Government.

“With the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) activities fizzling out, the areas are on the path of development. Fear of gun-toting Maoists unleashing terror no longer lingers on in about 151 villages coming under 9 gram panchayats of Swabhimam Anchala”, Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, who undertook the first-ever visit of any Chief Secretary to Swabhiman Anchal through road, said on Friday.

The establishment of as many as 9 company operating bases (COBs) by the Border Security Force (BSF) at the Maoists’ heartland has instilled tremendous confidence among people of Swabhiman Anchala.

While seven mobile towers are operating in the area, all the households in 9 GPs of Swabhiman Anchal have been distributed mobile handsets. The erstwhile Naxal hotbed is witnessing boom in horticulture, fishery, alternative livelihood for the inhabitants, enhancing of income of the farmers, improvement of quality health care in medical, functioning of education and hostel complex , growth of eco-tourism, irrigation, electrification, road connectivity to all villages, and telecom connectivity, he said.

There has been a perceptible turnaround in the erstwhile cutoff areas with the deployment of BSF and construction of Gurupriya River Bridge connecting the area with the mainland and slew of infrastructure projects and implementation of welfare schemes for the people, concluded the official.

Swabhiman Anchal had voted for the first time in 15 years during the fifth and last phase of the recently concluded panchayat election and there was impressive voter turnout in the elections in the Naxal affected region. This refreshing turn of events bear testimony to the fact the Naxals have retreated and their operation base has disintegrated due to the increased vigil by the security forces and the development initiative of the State government, said a senior police official.