87 rebels have laid down arms this year in Odisha: Naveen

By Nalini Sahu

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 3: At least seven security personnel and 21 Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) have been killed and 87 surrendered before police in 2013 till November end, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said in the state Assembly on Tuesday.

In a written reply to a question from BJD legislator Anant Das, the Mr Patnaik said four BSF personnel were killed in an ambush in Koraput district, while 13 Maoists were gunned down in Malkangiri district.

“Apart from Malkangiri, four rebels were killed in Rayagada district and one each were killed in Koraput, Balangir, Baragarh and Gajapati districts,” the CM said.

Of the 87 LWEs who surrendered during the year, 65 were from Malkangiri district, followed by nine in Koraput district and five in Rayagada district.

 Two others surrendered in Nabarangpur, while one each surrendered in Kandhamal, Gajapati, Sundergarh, Keonjhar, Sambalpur and Dhenkanal, he added.

“Only Nayagarh, Jajpur and Dhenkanal remained free from Maoist violence and influence this year.  Gajapati, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Deogarh and Sundargarh  are not considered as free from the LWE menace in view of movement and activities of the ultras,” the CM stated.