Bhawanipatna: The 24-hour bandh call given by the Maoists evoked a partial response in parts of Odisha and Jharkhand Monday, police said.
An IED planted on Odisha’s Bhawanipatna-Thuamul Rampur-Kashipur Road, which was blockaded with felled trees, was defused and the road was cleared.
Normal life in rural areas in at least four districts of Jharkhand – West Singhbhum, Garhwa, Latehar and Palamu – were partially affected as some markets were shut and fewer vehicles plied the roads but train and long-distance bus services remained normal.
However, there was no visible impact of the bandh in the urban areas of these districts.
Palamu zone Inspector General Rajkumar Lakra told PTI that no untoward incident was reported from Garhwa, Latehar and Palamu, which comprises Palamu zone, till afternoon.
He said markets were somewhat affected, especially in rural areas, and police were kept on high alert.
In West Singhbhum, the impact of the bandh was visible in Maoist-hit blocks of Goilkera and Sonua, where markets were shut and few public transport vehicles were seen plying the roads.
The bandh, which began on Sunday midnight, was called by the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit to protest a police encounter in which five Maoists were killed in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, besides an alleged drone attack on the red rebels in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
On April 3, five Maoists, including four carrying a total bounty of Rs 60 lakh on their heads, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in Chatra.
In neighbouring Odisha, the bandh call evoked partial response in some rural areas in seven of the 30 districts.
An improvised explosive device (IED), allegedly planted by the Maoists, was defused in Kitpadar, around 5 km from Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi.
Trees felled to block the Bhawanipatna-Thuamul Rampur-Kashipur Road were removed and Maoist posters were found at the spot.
“A major incident was averted. Combing operation and patrolling has been intensified,” Superintendent of Police Abhilash G said.
Local villagers had informed the police after spotting the IED.
A similar IED was defused by BSF personnel in Malkangiri district Sunday.
The CPI (Maoist) called the bandh in seven districts of Odisha in support of their 12-point charter of demands. The bandh was called in Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Nayagarh, Boudh, Rayagada, Gajapati and Ganjam districts.
They put up posters and banners at Pankalguri in Chandrapur block and felled big trees to affect the movement of vehicles.
The Maoists demanded the establishment of Adarsha schools and hospitals in every panchayat of Rayagada district.
Their other demands include fair distribution of forest land among the poor, accurate valuation of forest produce, and the fulfillment of demands put forth by Anganwadi workers and teachers.
PTI