Gania: Ultras have made their presence felt at Badasilinga panchayat, the border area of Nayagarh and Boudh districts, by blasting two watch towers and a beat house Thursday night.
Besides, the left-wing extremists have put up posters and banners containing their various demands, it was learnt. However, the locals said they were unaware of any such development except hearing a deafening sound.
According to reports, more than 40 Maoists reached Badasilinga late Thursday night in three groups. They first asked the forester, forest guards and watchers to come out of Dipisahi beat house. Later, they torched a patrol van and a cycle kept outside the office.
Similarly, the outlaws blasted Oskamaska and Basaganda watch towers and the beat house by detonating tiffin bombs. All official documents and belongings of the staff were reduced to ashes in the blast. Besides, they also looted a solar battery and a solar light from Basaganda watch tower and walkie-talkies from Dipisahi beat house.
In the posters and banners put up by Maoists’ Orissa state committee, the ultras demanded adequate compensation for the farmers whose crops were damaged by wild animals. They also opposed forced construction of a beat house on endowment land in the posters. This apart, the LWEs warned the local DFO not to make an attempt for the displacement of the locals living along the sanctuary by threatening them with police action.
Neither the police nor the top officials of forest department had reached the spot till filing of this report.
It may be noted that Maoist movement was detected earlier in Satkosia sanctuary regions in Nayagarh, Boudh and Angul districts. With these blasts they have reasserted their presence in the area, sources said.
Woman Maoist surrenders
Bhawanipatna: A hardcore woman Maoist Rekha Majhi (25) of Lilingpadar village under Bhawanipatna block in Kalahandi district surrendered before Kalahandi SP and expressed her desire to join the mainstream and live a normal life after being fed up of Maoist atrocities and torture Friday. Police said Rekha was forcefully dragged into the Maoist fold in 2011 by Maoist leader Modem Balkrishna alias Manoj. She will be rehabilitated as per government norms, police said. PNN
