Koraput district inOdishawas declaredfree of Maoist presenceon Thursday following the surrender of a cadre-level Maoist before the local police, officials said.The announcement was made bySouth Western Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Kanwar Vishal Singh, who stated that Koraput has now been cleared of Maoist activity after the surrender ofMamata Podiyami, identified by police as a notorious Maoist cadre.According to police records,Mamata Podiyami, aged26, was anACM-ranked Maoist cadrewho had been active inChhattisgarh. Multiple cases were registered against her, including one related to an exchange of fire with security personnel. At the time of her surrender, she was carrying areward of Rs 5.50 lakh.Officials said the surrender took place under thestate government’s Maoist rehabilitation scheme, which aims to encourage extremists to lay down arms and return to the mainstream.
