LIVE TV
India
Recommended Stories
Malkangiri: While the Maoists are observing PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) week to avenge the death of their 31 comrades who were killed in a joint operation by the Grey Hound personnel of Andhra Pradesh police and SOG personnel of Odisha Police near Panasput in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district on October 24, the striking force of the District Voluntary Force (DVF) personnel of Odisha have intensified their hunt to track down top Maoist leader Ramkrishna alias RK dead or alive following a tip-off that the mastermind of the banned outfit, injured in the encounter, is hiding somewhere inside the dense forest cover along Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border.
Amidst the heightened tension, normal life in the district has come to a standstill, reports said.
Armed with the state-of-the-art 5.56 mm sixer guns with a range of 300 metres which are provided by the Odisha government, the DVF personnel are thoroughly scanning possible hideouts of the Red Rebels. The watchful jawans have also kept a close watch on the roads while moving on bikes in these areas, the reports said.
“The state government has provided us with sophisticated guns with a killing range of 300 metres. We have imparted advance training to the Malkangiri DVF to counter Maoists. With the modern weapons and training, we hope that we will make the district free from Maoists within some days,” said Dambaru Hananga, DVF leader.
“Acting on the directive of the district Superintendent of Police, We have intensified Operation RK in the district. Our motto is to track down the Maoists and provide security to the people,” Radhakrushna Nayak, a DVF jawan on duty told OTV today.
“Our effort is to foil any subversive attempt by the Maoists who are observing PLGA Week in the district. Besides, we are on the lookout of RK,” said another jawan.
Talking to the media about the Operation RK, Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said as per the information, RK has sustained bullet injuries on his leg during the encounter in Panasput area in Chitrakonda block on October 24. The top Maoist leader is undergoing treatment in a Maoist camp somewhere on Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border. “We are collecting more information on this,” he added.
However, normal life in the district has come to a standstill as people are not coming out of their house due to the fear of Maoist onslaught and the ongoing Operation RK.
The small businessmen and local traders in the cut-off areas of the district are having a lean time to sell their produce.
The weekly haat at Chitrakonda wears a deserted look as there is hardly any person coming to the haat.
“We do our business with the people in the cut-off area. If they don’t come out of their house what business we will do?” Ganeswar Biswal a local trader said.
