Tricolour Unfurled at Karregutta Hills After 50 Years as Security Forces Secure Region

The national flag was unfurled at Karregutta Hills along the Telangana-Chhattisgarh border on Monday, marking the first time the Tricolour was raised at the location in nearly 50 years. Telangana Director General of Police C V Anand, alongside senior officials from the Central Reserve Police Force, the Intelligence Bureau, and the state forest department, hoisted the flag at the 650-foot hilltop less than a week before India celebrates its 80th Independence Day on August 15.

Karregutta Hills had been a stronghold for Maoist cadres for nearly five decades, as insurgents used the region's dense forest and difficult terrain to maintain control. For years, government officials were unable to exercise control over the hilltop area due to the security risks posed by the active insurgent presence.

The flag-hoisting event was made possible following Operation Kagar, an anti-insurgency effort that flushed out Maoist forces from forest areas across different parts of the country. During the operation, Maoist leaders used the challenging landscape of the Karregutta region to make a last stand and littered the surrounding forest with landmines to obstruct advancing forces.

As Operation Kagar progressed, about 700 Maoists, including several Central Committee members, surrendered before the police. The surrenders enabled government officials and law enforcement agencies to take control of the border area and re-establish a state presence on the hilltop.

Monday's ceremony was held under tight armed security provided by Telangana's anti-Naxal commando force, the Greyhounds, along with CRPF personnel. The dignitaries reached the 650-foot summit in a battery of vehicles, traveling along a stretch of road that remains unmotorable while road construction work continues in the region.

Speaking about the historical security situation in the area, DGP C V Anand stated that during the period when Maoists were still active in the forest, only Greyhounds and central commando forces would occasionally enter the area before withdrawing. The official ceremony signifies the government's establishment of control over the previously inaccessible hilltop.