SINGARMUNDA (SUNDARGARH): A group of women dished out a tribal melody, ‘jhilmil, jhilmil...’ as the audience of all age groups listened with rapt attention at Singharmunda village of Bargaon block under Sundargarh district police limits.
Soon, they were swaying to a popular Odia number by none other than Sundargarh SDPO Suresh Mishra. It was an effort to present the friendly face of police.
With Maoist threat looming large in other parts of Odisha, the Sundargarh and Rourkela district police along with the CRPF have intensified Jan Sampark Abhiyan and Civic Action Plan to prevent the ultras from making further inroads into existing and uncharted territories.
The Sundargarh district police led by SP Sanjeev Arora on Wednesday took along with them cultural programme, hockey tournament and health camp to Singharmunda village. Special Police Officers (SPOs), the tribals of the region, were introduced to the villagers.
A senior cop said several bordering pockets in Rajgangpur, Birmitrapur, Talsara and Sundargarh Assembly segments share thick forest cover and efforts are being made to check Maoist activities in these areas.
However, things are different in Maoist-hit Bisra block under Rourkela district police limits. The block shares porous border with the Maoist-hub of Saranda forest in Jharkhand. The Rourkela Police recently reclaimed the Maoist-dominated areas and are under continuous pressure to keep the ultras at bay.
On Wednesday, hockey and football matches along with entertainment programme and community feast were organised at Barsuan village of Bisra. Sports kits, musical instruments and clothes were distributed among the villagers.
The CRPF local headquarters at Rourkela was not to be left behind. They distributed TV sets, cycles, solar lights and books among beneficiaries of the Maoist-affected villages. Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu attended.