BERHAMPUR/BHAWANIPATNA: The impact of the 24-hour bandh called by the outlawed Bansadhara-Ghumusar-Nagabali (BGN) group of Maoists in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Boudh, Gajapati and Nayagarh districts on Monday to press for their 12-point charter of demands was partial with no incident of violence reported. However, a bomb planted in a liquor bottle located five km from Bhawanipatna was defused by the defusing squad.
Through an audio release on Friday, the outfit had declared the bandh, exempting essential services like healthcare and scheduled examinations. Their demands included allotment of houses to deserving beneficiaries under PM Awas Yojana or Biju Awas Yojana within six months, free supply of oil, dal, salt along with PDS rice, construction of roads, drinking water supply, power connection to all villages, unemployment allowance of Rs 3,000 and construction of hospitals in every panchayat.
However, in Rayagada district, the Red rebels had put up posters and banners at Pankalguri near Hanumantpur under Chandrapur block of the district. The poster stated that the underprivileged in the state are being denied access to essential services such as education, healthcare, and housing. In some posters they asked the government to rectify the discrepancies and ensure the welfare of the marginalized population.
Apart from the banners, the outfit had felled trees on roads at several places to block traffic. Handwritten posters also surfaced at places in Kandhamal including toll gate near Simanbadi on NH-59, Budhaguda chowk of Daringibadi block and Bandapipili area of Kotogarh block.
Adequate precautionary measures were taken by the security forces apprehending disturbance, particularly after evening. Combing operations continued in areas bordering Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Boudh, informed Kandhamal SP S K Patra.
Personnel of Odisha Police, CRPF, BSF and SOG were deployed at vulnerable places in Kandhamal. Public transport operation was stopped while buses on Kotgarh, Belaghar, Daringibadi, Gochapada routes were cancelled for the day. Vehicles were being searched at various places.
In Kalahandi, apart from road blockade and Maoist posters, a detonator inside a liquor bottle allegedly planted by the rebels in Kitpadar, five km from Bhawanipatna, was defused by the bomb squad. SP Abhilash G said, “The bomb defusing squad defused the detonator. Combing operation and patrolling have been intensified to combat any untoward incident.”
Incidently the Odisha DGP along with top police officials had visited some of the southern districts including Kalahandi, Koraput, and Kandhamal to review anti-Maoist operations in the areas a day back.