Badesetti Panchayat in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district has been declared the state’s first Maoist-free panchayat, marking a significant milestone in Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s mission to eradicate Maoist insurgency by March 2026.

The breakthrough follows the surrender of 22 Maoists, including 11 from Badesetti, to security forces on Friday, reflecting the success of the government’s counter-insurgency and rehabilitation strategies, according to officials.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the surrender, stating on X, “It is a matter of satisfaction that Maoists now want to join mainstream society. Complete eradication of red terror is certain by March 2026.”

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The surrendered cadres, active in the Maad (Chhattisgarh) and Nuapada (Odisha) divisions, included high-value targets with a collective bounty of Rs 40.5 lakh. Badesetti Panchayat will receive a Rs 1 crore development grant and additional support for employment generation under the state’s ‘Niyad Nellanar’ scheme, as per the new policy.

The mass surrender underscores a weakening Maoist influence, with 521 Maoists surrendering in Chhattisgarh in 2025 alone, following 881 in 2024, per Shah’s remarks at the Bastar Pandum festival. Concurrently, security forces dismantled a Maoist camp in Bijapur on Friday, recovering explosives and cash, further tightening the noose on insurgents.

Shah’s multi-pronged approach—combining security operations, development initiatives like 11,503 km of highways, and rehabilitation policies—has reduced Maoist-affected areas in Chhattisgarh from 18,000 sq. km in 2014 to 8,500 sq. km today, advancing his ambitious deadline.

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