RAIPUR: The outlawed CPI (Maoist) yet again torched vehicles that were engaged in the construction of roads at Errabore in the strife-torn Sukma district, south Chhattisgarh, the police said on Monday.
The rebels set a tractor, heavy road roller and a mixer machine vehicle ablaze and chased away the labourers engaged in the construction of roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana on Lendra route of Errabore.
The road construction was going on in the region without any security cover, the police said. “The Maoists reached the spot, forced the workers to stop the work and inquired about the contractor. They then threatened the labourers of facing dire consequences if returned to work for road construction”, said a police officer.
The frightened workers fled and inform about the incident at the nearest police station. Before the arrival of the police, the Red brigade managed to escape after setting the vehicles on fire.
According to the guerrilla warfare experts, the Naxals usually go for soft targets. “The soft targets cannot retaliate. For Maoists the soft targets turn up as convenient means to register their presence”, said Brigadier (retired) B K Ponwar, a jungle warfare expert.
The Maoists in the past couple of years have been increasingly targeting heavy vehicles and machines engaged in mining activities and road construction works, that they fear would be detrimental to their existence.
Sukma is among the seven worst Maoist-affected districts in the conflict-ridden Bastar zone.