More than 500 Maoist supporters surrendered before the Odisha police in Swabhiman Anchal of Malkangiri district on Monday, Director General of Police (DGP) S.K. Bansal said.

“After surrender of 295 Maoists supporters before the police on June 11 another 500 of Ralegada GP surrendered before the Malkangiri Police & @BSF today. They were motivated by developmental works of the Odisha government,” the DGP tweeted.

They also expressed their opposition towards the Maoist ideology by burning their dress and gave the slogan ‘Maobadi (Maoist) Murdabad’, he said.

The militia includes both men and women who hail from Dabal Pahad, Ralegada, Chintalduli, Korrapalli, Tekpadar, Palankrayi, Tatipahad, Eskapalli, Sarukabandha, Durgam, Banajholi, Chikatpalli, Jajpalli, Gajalmamidi, Sitapalli villages in Ralegada gram panchayat area under the jurisdiction of Papermetla police station.

All these villages are located along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border and was the erstwhile stronghold of Maoists, the police said.

They voluntarily came to a BSF camp in Janbai and surrendered before Odisha police in the presence of Malkangiri SP Nitesh Wadhwani and DIG, BSF, Malkangiri.

Swabhiman Anchal has seen maximum violence over the last two decades. The police said that these Maoist supporters used to assist the Maoists in violent activities and were involved in killing of security forces, civilians & were supplying all logistics to them.

Before surrendering, the Maoist supporters burnt the dress materials of Maoists and demolished the Maoist martyr pillar and gave slogans “Maobadi Murdabad”.

Swabhiman Anchal was considered as a liberated zone and Maoists ran Janatana Sarkar there. As many as 37 greyhound jawans, 7 BSF personnel, 4 Odisha police personnel and 40 innocent local tribals were killed by the Maoists. Thousands of local villagers had to leave the area out of fear.

The area comprising 9 GPs and 182 villages, which was a safe haven of Maoists of Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) of the CPI (Maoist) for more than two decades, is undergoing fast turnaround.

With the construction of Gurupriya bridge and special developmental packages of the Odisha government coupled with the strategic deployment of security forces inspired the villagers to join the mainstream, said an official.

Earlier in June, 450 active hardcore Maoist supporters of the area had surrendered before police and joined the mainstream.