Bantala: The sudden appearance of as many as 10 suspicious huts inside Magurakhala village forest under Bantala police limits of Angul district have left local residents in a state of panic.
The villagers fear that the camp is being used by Maoists. Their concern is not out of place given Satkosia sanctuary was infamous for Maoist activities in the past.
According to the villagers, they have been noticing these makeshift huts with blue polythene sheets covering their roofs and supported by bamboo strip walls for last three to four days. Inside the camps, there are stocks of food items such as rice and cooking oil. The camp area appears to be neat and clean, suggesting sweeping is being carried out on a regular basis. About 20 to 30 people reside in the camp.
“We find their activities suspicious. They leave the area in the morning and return at night. We are yet to get to know who these people are and why they have camped here,” said a villager.
Several other villagers suspect these people to be poachers since on the other side of the hill lie Satkosia sanctuary and Raiguda forest. Baragounia, Bhubanpur, Nua Raiguda and Talagada villages are all within a radius of five kilometres from the spot.
Upon getting information from some sources, Bantala inspector-in-charge Geetanjali Sahu along with police force and forest department employees had gone into the jungle Friday but had to return without going near the camp.
While local people urged the administration to take steps to allay their fear by investigating into it, IIC Sahu said they are aware of the camps having been put up inside the jungle and informed that the cops are already looking into the matter.
PNN