NUAPADA:It has been more than three years since Maoists, active in Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary in the district, brutally killed a teacher, Chaitanya Majhi, of Patpani village in Komna block branding him to be a police informer. Shaken by the killing, the 20-odd households in his village atop a hill left their houses and are leading a life of nomads.
On February 8, 2013, Chaitanya, who was working as a Sikhya Sahayak in Dunguripali, had gone to his village accompanied by his wife and three-year-old daughter to attend a marriage. While he was returning to Dunguripali, about 40 armed Maoists, including female cadres, intercepted him near the village and shot him dead.
They also pierced his body with bayonets of rifles. In the handwritten poster left at the spot, the Maoists termed Chaitanya as a police informer and called upon the villagers to stay away from security forces. Since then, all the 20 families have been running from pillar to post demanding rehabilitation. While the fortunate ones have been accommodated by their relatives, others have sought refuge in Kamkeda, Kalimati, Kuleswar, Tikrapada and Khairbhadi villages of Komna block besides Onkapur of Boden block. They are working as daily wagers and struggling to make both ends meet.
The terrified villagers said they have urged the Collector, the SP and the BDO to look into their plight. They are asking for land at some other place so that they can begin life afresh.
Mukunda Majhi, one of those who had left the village, said they have appealed to the district administration several times for their rehabilitation, but in vain. Similar sentiment was echoed by Gadadhar Majhi, who said they had land in Patpani but were working as daily wagers. The district administration should compensate them with same amount of land holding elsewhere in the district or provide them security so that they can return to their village, he added.
Sub-Collector Sarat Srichandan said, “While landless can be provided land as per guidelines of the State Government, we cannot compensate land to land owners. If the Government comes up with any such scheme, he would help the villagers.”
Nuapada SDPO Bidyut Panda said since he is new to the district, he was not aware of the entire incident. However, he said they can provide security to the villagers who return to their village Patpani.
OSRTC service suspended
Malkangiri: THE State-run OSRTC buses remained off the road across the district following the week-long protest by Maoists which began on Monday. The CPI (Maoist) Darva division covering Chhattisgarh and its bordering Malkangiri and Koraput districts had called for the bandh in protest against police atrocities. OSRTC District Transport Manager Rabindra Kumar Behera said plying of 11 OSRTC buses was suspended as a preventive measure in view of the Maoist bandh.