Telangana Greyhounds near closure after Maoist decline
HYDERABAD: The state’s elite anti-Naxal force, Greyhounds, is set to be phased out following the near elimination of Maoist activity. The unit, which conducted forest operations for over 36 years, is now moving towards closure.
Police personnel from Greyhounds are likely to be reassigned to law and order, crime and other departments. Senior officials held multiple review meetings under Director General of Police Shivdhar Reddy to discuss the transition.
State plans redeployment of majority Greyhounds personnel
Of the 650 to 700 personnel currently serving in Greyhounds, around 80% will be shifted to other wings. Officials have begun reallocations based on operational needs. Personnel with field expertise may be deployed in counter-intelligence units.
End of Maoist operations reduces need for forest combing
The decline of Maoist activity in the state has reduced the need for combing operations in forest areas. With most top leaders surrendering, only a few, including Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, remain active. Police said Maoist presence in Telangana has nearly ended.
Greyhounds played a major role alongside the Special Intelligence Branch in curbing extremist activities. The force conducted negotiations leading to surrenders and carried out encounters and operations such as Operation Green Hunt and Operation Kagar.
Elite force played key role in anti-insurgency campaigns
Greyhounds units participated in operations across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Commandos were specially trained for jungle warfare and anti-Naxal operations.
Formed in 1989 under then chief minister N T Rama Rao and senior IPS officer K S Vyas, the force initially had around 3,000 personnel. Training centres were set up at Premavathipet and Manchirevula near Hyderabad over 500 acres.
After the formation of Telangana, the strength reduced to about 1,500. By 2022, 26 units operated with 25 to 30 personnel each. With declining Maoist influence, recruitment stopped in 2024. At present, only 24 units with about 650 to 700 personnel remain.
