Maoists blast government building in Rayagada

=============================================================
This article has been sent to you by koraputonline ( koraputonline@gmail.com )
=============================================================
Source: The Hindu (http://www.hinduonnet.com/2010/05/22/stories/2010052252800300.htm)
Other States
-
Orissa
  

Maoists blast government building in Rayagada


Staff Reporter



They left posters in which they protested against any proposed joint operation against them



Maoists had appealed to people to observe bandh through postersThey also demanded action against police personnel allegedly involved in rape of a woman


BERHAMPUR: Maoists blasted a government building and a mobile communication tower at Chandrapur in Rayagada district on Thursday night.
It was their effort to show up their presence during their bandh call in Rayagada, Gajapati and Kandhamal districts of south Orissa on Friday to oppose ‘Operation Green Hunt'.
Vehicular traffic in these three districts was affected by the bandh call. This bandh call was given by the Basadara Divisional Committee of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) organisation, which is active in these areas. Earlier the Basadara group had also included Koraput district in their bandh call but later they preferred to exclude it as it was not part of their operational area.
A strike by the Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) staff federation in support of their six-point demands on Thursday helped the bandh call.
According to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Sanjeev Panda targeted the two soft targets at Chandrapur. It may be noted that Basadara Division has support base in Chandrapur and Gudari blocks of Rayagada district.
A group of armed Maoists reached the Chandrapur village on Thursday night. They planted landmines in the unused building of block level ‘Cluster Research Centre' and the room containing equipments of the BSNL mobile communication tower at Chandrapur. The Maoists preferred to escape into the near by jungle after the blast to avoid any encounter with security forces deployed in the area.
They left posters at the spot in which they protested against any proposed joint operation against Maoists. They also demanded action against police personnel allegedly involved in the rape of a woman in Khajuripada area.
In Rayagada district, vehicular traffic remained standstill due to fear of Maoists. No buses travelled from Rayagada to any other parts of the State. Shops and business establishments remained closed in Gudari and Chandrapur areas, while they remained open in other parts of the district.
Road blockade
Maoist and their supporters put up a road blockade at Pangalighati, near Daringbadi in Kandhamal district. Trees were also cut down in Kotgarh area to block roads. In adjoining Gajapati district, the effect of the naxal bandh was most evident in R.Udaygiri and Mohana blocks. Maoists hampered vehicular traffic by felling trees at Nalaghat near Mandimera in Gajapati district.
The road communication between Berhampur and Rayagada was snapped as road was blocked by boulders and trees near Raipanka in Gajapati district. No buses travelled from Paralekhemundi to R.Udaygiri and Mohana blocks but passenger vehicles made their journey to other parts of the district and Berhampur via Andhra Pradesh. Shops remained closed in naxal infested areas like Mohana, Adaba and R.Udaygiri but in other parts of the district the bandh call had low impact.
While the traffic was cleared at Nalaghat by the security forces, efforts were on to clear the road between Bramhanigaon and Daringibadi in Kandhamal district. Police recovered Maoist posters from Daringbadi, Kotagada and Tumudibandh areas in Kandhamal district. In the posters, the Maoists had appealed to the people to observe bandh.






Copyright: 1995 - 2006 The Hindu
Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly
prohibited without the consent of The Hindu