ROURKELA: Pushed to a wall due to mounting operations by security forces in adjacent Jharkhand, the People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI), a splinter group of CPI (Maoist), seems to be regrouping in bordering Birmitrapur Assembly constituency of Sundargarh district.
With the release of several of its leaders in the recent past, the underground activities of the banned outfit have increased in the area. Local criminals, anti-social elements and unemployed youths, being lured to earn well from extortion and other activities, are getting recruited in the outfit.
Sources said, movement of PLFI members has increased in remote areas under Raiboga, Birmitrapur and Hathibari police limits under Sundargarh police district (SPD). On September 17, two criminals linked to PLFI were arrested from Raiboga with arms and ammunition. However, such sporadic action against the outfit is of little help, said locals.
A businessman from Birmitrapur said the outfit’s members kept a low-profile and clandestinely collected extortion money from owners of around 50 stone crushing units and quarries, 30 brick kilns and rural contractors. However, with lax policing in the recent times, they are making their presence felt in the area.
Nuagaon block in the constituency seems to be the worst affected by PLFI activities.
Sources said that 10-20 gram panchayats in the block share their borders with Jharkhand and the outfit's members frequently move between the two states in the absence of effective police patrolling. Suleiman Kaoria of Nuagaon said half of the block comes under the jurisdiction of Hathibari police station in SPD and the rest under Bisra police station under Rourkela police district (RPD).
He said the Odisha government should act on a proposal to upgrade Nuagaon police outpost into a full-fledged police station to restore confidence of locals. Birmitrapur MLA Shankar Oram said police infrastructure must be strengthened in the area to curb PLFI activities.
However, Rajgangpur SDPO, Shasank Beura, who holds additional charge of Birmitrapur said there is no specific information on movement of PLFI cadres in the area. He said the local police is committed to act tough against PLFI members and other criminals.