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Narayanpatna block still cut off

BERHAMPUR: Narayanpatna block in Koraput district of south Orissa remains under seize of Maoists and their supporters who have cut off all road communication to the area since Sunday.

Maoists have resorted to such act in Narayanpatna area for the third time during the past six months. The State government has not yet resorted to any strict measure to curb the menace. It is feared that Maoists and their supporters may be experimenting to repeat ‘Lalgarh’ in Narayanpatna by detaching the area from the outside world. It may be noted that a violent tribal group Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) has already taken over non-tribal land by force and started cultivating the land. The recent road blockade coincided with the harvesting from the agricultural land occupied by the organisation.

Maoists and their supporters are cutting down trees to block the roads. Lack of coordination among the police, administration and the Forest Department has posed to be a major hindrance in the path of speedy clearance of road blocks put by Maoist vagrants.

Speaking to The Hindu, Koraput Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the police were ready to provide all possible security and the services of bomb disposal squad for the clearance of road blockades put by Maoists to Narayanpatna. But the Public Works Department (PWD) is yet to provide labourers for the clearance work. The PWD officials say due to Maoist threat they are unable to gather labourers for the purpose.

‘Callousness’ of the Forest Department is also helping the Maoists. Despite several requests of the police force, the Forest Department has not transported the trees that had been cut down for road blockades in the past from the sides of roads.

The logs of cut down trees left by the side of the road by the teams that cleared the road have become easy means of repeat of road blockade.

Narayanpatna block is connected from outside by three roads from Bandhugaon, Laxmipur and Parvatipuram. All these roads have been blocked. These blockades came up three days before the two-day bandh call by Maoists in south Orissa.

It may be noted that in August, similar road blockade by Maoists had kept Narayanpatna block cut off from outside world for more than a week. In June, this block remained cut off from outside world for 12 days. On June 18, eight members of the Orissa Special Striking Force (OSSF) and the driver of their vehicle were killed in a landmine blast while they were on their way to clear road blockades.

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