: Maoists step up efforts to regroup in Telangana #IndiaNEWS #National Hyderabad, July 19 | Maoists appear to have stepped up their efforts to regroup in Telangana, their former stronghold, if the two

Maoists step up efforts to regroup in Telangana #IndiaNEWS #National
Hyderabad, July 19 | Maoists appear to have stepped up their efforts to regroup in Telangana, their former stronghold, if the two incidents of exchange of fire between police and ultras in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts last week are any indication.
As many as 18 cadres of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), including a leader escaped after the encounters in the forests bordering neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.
Hundreds of security personnel, including the personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds were on a hunt for the Maoists.
That the police force has also taken a serious note of the attempts by the banned outfit is evident from the fact that the police chief M. Mahender Reddy himself flew in a helicopter to the region to review the situation.
During his two-day visit the police chief discussed with senior officials the operational strategies to contain the renewed attempts by Maoists to gain a foothold in the tribal areas.
The police higher-ups see the recent incident as a proof of the serious bid by the Left-wing extremists cadre to revive the activity since Telangana was carved out of Andhra Pradesh as a new state in 2014.
The Maoists made a determined bid to revive the activity during COVID-19 when the police force was busy enforcing the lockdown. Some cadres crossed over from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and reached the interior villages to take up the issues of tribals.
During the exchange of fire in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district on July 14, five Maoist including a senior member, carrying a reward of Rs 25 lakh, managed to escape. The team was led by Mailarapu Adellu alias Bhaskar, Telangana State Committee member of the CPI (Maoist). Believed to be armed with AK-47, Bhaskar and his team entered from neighbouring Maharashtra during the lockdown period, by pretending to be migrant workers.
The DGP said during his visit that 500 personnel, including Greyhound commandos were on the hunt for the Maoists. He appealed to people not to provide shelter to the outlaws.
His appeal came after police arrested one villager on charges of providing shelter and food to the extremists.
Police officials of Mulugu, Jayashankar Bhupalapally, Mahabubabad and Bhadradri-Kothagudem districts released photos of 18 Maoists and announced rewards of Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh to anyone providing information about them.
The police chief said that at a time when the government has taken up a lot of development and welfare programmes, Maoists are seeking to create terror and tension among tribals and sow seeds of suspicion.
The DGP also warned that if Maoists were allowed to re-enter, development and welfare programmes undertaken by the state government, particularly for the benefit of the tribals, would be hampered.

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