Bhubaneswar, Jan. 13: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will launch special measures in Nuapada and Koraput districts to contain the Maoist influence in the state.

In Koraput, the central force jawans will step up their vigil in the Sunabeda area, said the newly appointed director-general of the CRPF, Prakash Mishra, here today while explaining the strategy of the paramilitary force deployed in the state's Maoist-hit belt.

He also said the central forces would be withdrawn from areas which had witnessed a sharp decline in the Maoist activities. 'The CRPF camps would be withdrawn from Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Ganjam districts since Maoist activities in these areas are not significant,' said Mishra, who was on his first visit to the state after taking over as the CRPF DG.

He said the central force would also focus on neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where extreme Left-wing violence remains a matter of concern.

He said barring Kandhamal, Kalahandi, Sunabeda and Nuapada, Maoist activities in other parts of the state were negligible now. 'However, despite the situation having improved in the state, we still need to be vigilant. We have to initiate steps for community welfare in the Maoist-hit areas to narrow down the gap between the villagers and the security personnel,' said Mishra, who visited the CRPF camps in Ganjam and Rayagada districts yesterday to review the anti-Maoist operations.

Responding to a question on the state's demand for deployment of more CRPF personnel in the state, Mishra said the central government would try to meet the requirements if the state put its demands before the Union home ministry.

Mishra's visit to the state at this juncture assumes significance as the state police have intensified its operation to capture Ram Krishna, a top ranking Maoist leader, who operates both in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Ram Krishna or RK, who heads the Andhra-Odisha Border Zonal Committee of the CPI (Maoist), carries a reward of more than Rs 20 lakh on his head in Odisha alone.

Security forces had mounted a special operation in the first week of this month in the 'cut-off' area of Malkangiri district to nab him following intelligence inputs about his presence in the area. Greyhound jawans from the Andhra Pradesh police also took part in the operation.