Malkangiri: The Maoists Wednesday said the Gurupriya bridge in Malkangiri district was constructed with a motive to loot the forest and mineral resources.
They said the tribal people have sole right on forest and mineral resources.
In a letter issued to the media by the Malkangiri-Koraput-Visakha Border Sub-division (MKVD), the Maoists alleged that the water level in Balimela reservoir has risen due to construction of the bridge.
A vast stretch of agricultural land in at least seven panchayats have been submerged, causing crop loss to farmers, they said.
“Electricity, education and healthcare services in the cut-off area have not yet been developed, but the construction of the bridge helped the deployment of 1,500 to 2,000 policemen in the tribal-dominated area. The motive behind the construction of the bridge was to loot the natural resources with the help of mafia and police,” they said.
The Maoists also urged the government to pay adequate compensation to the farmers who suffered crop loss.
PNN