ANGUL: IN a bid to strengthen security measures, the State police has set up a CRPF camp at Purunakote in Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary. This is for the first time that a camp of the Central force has been established to check Maoist menace in the region. Angul SP Brajesh Rai said, “We have set up the CRPF camp in view of the security situation in the forest region.
A company of Central force will be stationed at the camp.” However, the SP refused to divulge details on deployment of the forces for security reasons. He hoped that the camp would go a long way in containing Naxal activities and strengthening community policing in the region. Meanwhile, reports of a group of armed Maoist cadres holding a meeting with villagers of Tuluka and Bhurkundi recently have come to the fore. Sources said at the meeting, the Maoists opposed entry of tigers into Satkosia Tiger Reserve and abolition of toll gates. They also threatened to blow up nature camps in the sanctuary, if the authorities failed to fulfil their demands. However, both Forest and Police authorities denied the reports. No such meeting took place at Tuluka, they claimed.
“This is an unverified report. The police have no reports of Maoists holding meeting anywhere in Satkosia. We are on high alert and are constantly monitoring the situation,” said SP Rai. A senior Forest official also dismissed the report saying they have never come across any Red rebels during their tour of Satkosia region. North-Central Range DIG Yatindra Koel said with CRPF camp set up at Purunakote, Maoist operation has already been launched in the region.