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Naxal bandh hits vehicular traffic

BERHAMPUR: Vehicular traffic was hit in several parts of south Orissa on Tuesday, the first day of the 48-hour bandh called by Maoists in five states including Orissa.

The Orissa State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) preferred to keep its buses off road in Maoist-infested districts including Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati as precautionary measure. Divisional Transport Manager of the OSRTC, Amiya Kumar Mishra said they had however continued plying some buses to Jeypore, Paralakhemundi and Nabarangpur via Andhra Pradesh. It may be noted that Maoists have given this bandh call in Orissa, Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh exempting Andhra Pradesh.

Private buses are also plying with care from Jeypore and Paralakhemundi to Berhampur and other parts of the state via Andhra Pradesh. The passenger transport between Malkangiri district with outside world via Koraput district has stopped completely as no bus operator is ready to take risk after the incident in adjoining Chhatisgarh where a passenger bus carrying civilians got targeted by Maoists.

Roads remained deserted in the interior pockets of Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada districts. Road traffic was affected in various areas of Malkangiri and Koraput districts bordering Chhattisgarh.

The whole Malkangiri district remained under a shroud of Maoist terror following the gruesome killing of 35 innocents travelling in a bus a few km away from Malkangiri district border.

But shops and business establishments, government and private offices were functioning as usual all across the state. Till evening no untoward incidents had been reported from any part of the state.

Security was tightened in all the districts bordering Chhatisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. All inter-state roads were put on strict vigil and combing operation was taken up in Maoist prone areas near the borders.

There is extra precaution as this bandh call is to protest against the Centre's decision to sell 10 per cent government stake in 10 profit-making public sector undertakings including NALCO and handing over 15,000 acre of land to steel making company POSCO.

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