BHUBANESWAR : Even as the second wave of Covid-19 has dangerously spread to rural areas, Odisha police has reached out to naxals through its sources and sarpanchs and asked them to get vaccinated for their safety. The SPs of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) hit districts are making attempts to reach out to the ultras and asking them to get vaccinated and get treated at dedicated Covid facilities of the government if infected or have any symptoms of the disease.
“Maoist leaders should take care of their cadres and ask them to seek medical help from the authorities. If they wish, we will get them vaccinated as people aged between 18 and 44 years have already started receiving the jabs,” said a senior officer. Though Odisha police has no information on Maoist cadres getting infected by Covid-19, reports suggest around eight to 10 members of Bastar division in neighbouring Chhattisgarh have succumbed to the virus and over 100 have been infected.
“We suspect when many ultras are getting affected by coronavirus, those operating in Odisha could have also contracted the disease,” said the officer. Police sources said around 258 Naxals are active in the State. Of them, less than 10 per cent belong to Odisha, 70 per cent to Chhattisgarh and the rest from West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Malkangiri SP Rishikesh Dnyandeo Khilari on Wednesday had offered free treatment to rebels who choose to surrender.