After the death of Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) leader Ravula Srinivas aka Ramanna, who had a bounty of INR 14 million on his head, Hidma, who had been heading Maoist attacks in Sukma District, has now been made state in-charge of the CPI-Maoist organisation’s militia actions, reports The Print on January 10. Hidma’s elevation is seen as an attempt by the Maoists to fill the void resulting from the death of Ramanna in the second week of December. Senior police officers deployed in anti-Naxal operations said there has also been a churn in the CPI-Maoist ‘Central Committee, CC’ on whether to elevate Hidma, or other cadre leaders such as Ganesh Uike and Sujata, as chief of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC). The DKSZC was headed by Ramanna. It also works as a Maoist think tank for Chhattisgarh, and Gadchiroli in adjoining Maharashtra where Maoists have a presence. “So far there is no confirmation, neither do we have any recovery to substantiate if Hidma has been given any new task as DKSZC head but security forces are prepared for any eventuality irrespective of which Naxal leader has been given what tasks,” Sukma Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Shalabh Sinha said. “Hidma is a known hard militia taskmaster and had been heading their Battalion 1 in Sukma for more than two and a half years now,” Sinha added.