ITBP breaks Maoist stronghold: First to establish corridor from Chhattisgarh to Maharashtra via Abujhmarh

RAIPUR: In a major step in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the Indo-Tibetan
Border Police (ITBP) has become the first force to successfully pierce through the dense and
hostile terrain of Abujhmarh, establishing a direct access route from Chhattisgarh to
Maharashtra.
The ITBP, known for its mountain warfare expertise, has set up five new Company Operating
Bases (COBs) in the last three months in the deeply insurgency-affected Abujhmarh region.
This includes the latest and most significant establishment at Nelangur in Narayanpur district,
positioned at the geographical center of Abujhmarh, long considered a stronghold of Naxal
activity.
An ITBP official told TOI that the rapid expansion—executed by the 41st and 45th Battalions
under Sector Headquarters Bhubaneswar—marks the fastest establishment of COBs by any
security force in Chhattisgarh's core Maoist areas.
“With this, the ITBP has successfully created a new communication corridor leading directly
to the Maharashtra border, which now lies just one kilometer from Nelangur,” said the officer
For decades, Abujhmarh was considered the de facto "capital" of the Naxal movement,
heavily dominated by local ‘Jantana Sarkars’ (parallel governments) and divisions like West
Bastar, North Bastar, and Maad. However, the recent presence of ITBP in the region has led
to the surrender of over 100 Maoists, overground workers (OGWs), and sympathizers, many
of whom voluntarily approached the newly established camps, the officer stated.
The new route towards Maharashtra passes through key locations like Kutul, Mohandi, and
Nelangur, connecting eventually to Binagunda and Laheri in Maharashtra. It also promises to
unlock the long-delayed NH-130D (Bharatmala project), a crucial national highway stretch
connecting Kondagaon (Chhattisgarh) to Allapalli (Maharashtra)—a project stalled due to
persistent security threats.
The five new COBs—Mohandi, Kodliyar, Kutul, Bedmakoti, and Padamkot—now form a
protective ring around Nelangur, effectively weakening the Maoist grip in central
Abujhmarh. Notably, Kutul, once regarded as the symbolic heart of naxal control, has now
been brought under security forces’ domain.
Besides, the Border Security Force (BSF) is also expanding its footprint in northern
Narayanpur, establishing its own COBs to strengthen links toward Gadchiroli in Maharashtra,
thereby enhancing road and communication connectivity across state lines.
The ITBP’s deployment in Chhattisgarh began in 2009 with anti-Maoist operations in
Rajnandgaon, later expanding to Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts in 2015.
With greater connectivity and the potential for development projects to now reach previously
inaccessible areas, this operation could represent a turning point in the decades-long battle to
reclaim India’s Red Corridor.