Extremism, Ganja Menace on the Decline in ASR District

Extremism linked to the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOB SZC) in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district has reached a decisive phase following sustained security operations over the last two years, Superintendent of Police Amit Bardar said on Monday.

Addressing the annual press conference in Paderu, the SP said intensive operations carried out during 2024 and 2025 had effectively dismantled the leadership structure of the extremist group. In 2025 alone, seven Exchange of Fire (EOF) incidents were reported, resulting in the neutralisation of 18 Maoists. During the year, police also arrested nine Maoists and facilitated the surrender of 49 others.

Mr. Bardar said the district police had focused equally on community policing and development-oriented initiatives to steer tribal youth away from extremism and ganja transportation. Programmes such as Saral, Nirman and Prerana benefited around 1,800 youth across the district by offering skill development and welfare support.

Highlighting the crackdown on narcotics, the SP said there was a sharp decline in ganja-related cases in 2025 due to continuous monitoring and targeted enforcement. A total of 135 cases were registered during the year, with the seizure of 14,484 kg of ganja and 35 kg of hash oil, and the arrest of 358 persons. In comparison, 316 ganja cases were reported in 2024, with 23,366 kg seized and 1,016 arrests made.

He said police teams verified 138 villages previously identified through drone surveillance and human intelligence for ganja cultivation and found no illegal crops. Checks at 83 suspected locations also yielded no cultivation.

The SP added that 325 identified families were provided alternative livelihood support, including crop assistance, business loans and income-generation opportunities.