More than 300 Naxal cadres are learnt to be active in joint border areas of Chhattisgarh and Telangana, especially in South Bastar, even as the March 31, 2026, deadline set by the Centre to end Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country is just over a month away, according to highly placed sources.They have indicated that while exhaustive operations are being launched, including Operation Black Forest 2.0 that which began last week, to further sanitise Korreguttalu (KG) Hills from Naxals, it would completely be the Centre’s call on the deadline.However, pressure from the Centre to adhere to the March 31 deadline seems to be visible, as security forces launched Operation Black Forest 2.0 last week despite having neutralised around 30-odd Naxals in Operation Black Forest 1.0 last year in April-May in KG Hills.Sources privy to details said KG Hills — considered a safe haven for Maoists prior to last year’s operation — had been sanitised after Operation Black Forest 1.0. However, owing to the geographical conditions of the hills, which consist layers of caverns providing hiding places to Naxals, the need had arisen to completely sanitise the entire region, they added.After 10 top Central Committee members of the outlawed CPI (Maoists) were neutralised in 2025, now only four CC members are left. The sources stressed that Ganapati Devuji, one of the four surviving ultra commanders, is considered the most wanted among them.As the deadline is just a few weeks away, pressure is on the security forces to get Devuji and others alive or dead, sources aware of details said. Apart from Devuji, the other surviving CC members are Malla Raja Reddy, Misir Besra and Mupalla Lakshmana Rao.Besides, the huge number of 300 Naxals, who are still in hiding in Bastar and adjoining regions, bordering Chhattisgarh and Telangana, remains a key concern for the security forces.The Tribune had reported earlier that the southern Bastar region has been an area of concern for security personnel, as they have not been able to penetrate it. This was also flagged in key security review meeting undertaken by Home Minister Amit Shah.The sources further informed that during the recent review meetings held in Raipur and New Delhi this year, Shah had expressed satisfaction regarding progress in combating Naxals.Yet it would be difficult to say whether Naxalism would be completely wiped out by March 31, 2026, as people aware of the region said that those in hiding, will try and remain underground. They may reappear after some time once the deadline ends and claim that they had managed to evade the Centre’s resolve.