NUAPADA: Maoists from Chhattisgarh blew up a culvert and set an excavator on fire in the district on Wednesday night. The incident occurred at Dharambandha under the same police limits, 20 km from the district headquarters and one km from a CRPF camp.
According to reports, around 25 Maoists including female cadres arrived at Chulabhat and set an excavator on fire. The excavator was brought to Rasela from Potora after it was used for digging up a canal at Umadungri hill near Bankipani village under Nuapada police limits. Sources said Gobinda Pradhan of Potora had hired the machine from Paikmal in Bargarh district to do the canal work.
Later, Maoists moved to Dharambandha and blew up the culvert on the road connecting Potora with Dharambandha. A bomb disposal squad has been deployed at the spot and police patrolling intensified in both the areas.
One Budhuram Paharia, who identified himself as spokesman of Nuapada Maoist division, called up some mediapersons in the district on Thursday and informed them that the violence was a part of the bandh called by them in the district on Wednesday. The bandh call had no impact in the morning.
Nuapada SDPO Sudhansu Sekhar Mishra said there were reports of Maoist movement from the area.