The Khatiyan - Johar yatra took a turn today when CM Hemant Soren took chopper to land on top of the Budha Pahad- once a Maoist hotbed that was freed by security forces after over three decades.

Budha Pahad is situated near border of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand and is surrounded by forest and hills, home to tribals.

Soren who landed on the hill top addressed a public meeting and announced a number of welfare schemes for tribal inhabited villages, located 150 km from Ranchi, along the Latehar and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand.

Security forces in league with Jharkhand police had enveloped the Budha Pahad both on its hill top and on the ground falling in Jharkhand.

This area was in grip of Maoists who used to have their camp on top of its hill and managed to rule for over three decades. However, security forces drove them away through operations that were launched since the beginning of April 2022. 

In all, a total of 14 Maoists were killed, while 590 others were either apprehended or had surrendered during these operations,records revealed.

Earlier attempts to drive out the red rebels from ‘Budha Pahad' did not materialise due to its difficult terrain and ‘soft’ policy of the UPA government.By adopting a hard policy  - “ surrender or face action”- the Modi government allowed security forces to gain success, it is learnt.

Now, JMM leader Hemant Soren who is the first CM of the state to have visited Budha Pahad has established the rule of law and heralded a wind of change in the entire area.