Malkangiri: Maoists are trying to regain their lost ground in Malkangiri, sources said here Friday. They are trying to strengthen the organisation and in the recent past, there has been a surge in their activities, the sources added. They informed that small groups of Maoists are regularly visiting villages in Swabhiman Anchal and those bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in this district to assess the situation.
The activities of the Red rebels came to the fore after posters were found at various places in the villages of Masughati, Patel, Papulur and a few more under Kalimela police limits. The posters written in Odia and Telugu are signed by Ganesh, the organising secretary of Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of Maoists (AOBSZC). The surfacing of the posters has sparked panic among the villagers.
The Maoists in the posters have asked villagers not to cooperate with former ultras, Ramesh Rakesh and Swapna Tuleshi. It has been stated that the two are extorting money from the people for which they have been expelled from the party. The Maoists have asked people to detain the two if they enter any village.
Since the surfacing of posters, police are probing the matter. However, the presence of the posters proves that Maoists are active in the district once again. With the elections drawing near, it is a worrying issue for the district administration and the cops. In the recent past, police have seized bombs, grenades, gelatin sticks and other ammunition concealed in various hideouts in Kalimela. It is a pointer to the fact that the Left-wing extremists are trying to disrupt peace in this district.
Sources informed that in the last couple of weeks, a rebel outfit from Chhattisgarh visited Papulur village on a number of occasions to assess the situation. They even talked to some of the villagers. Sources added that Maoists from Andhra Pradesh have been visiting many villages in the border areas on a regular basis. They are warning people not to promote any government project or work for the local administration.
Amid these developments, police have intensified search operations in various places of Kalimela and other parts of this district. Police officials of this district are regularly holding meetings with their counterparts in Chhattisgarh to assess and keep a close watch on the developments. A number of CCTV cameras have been put up at strategic places in villages where the Maoists are expected to visit. “We will try our best to thwart their attempts to disrupt peace in Malkangiri district,” a senior police officer said.
PNN