Orissa did not honour pact secured for release of collector: Ganti Prasadam

"Naveen Patnaik government is not sincere enough to implement the agreement reached between it and the naxal-selected mediators", Prasadam said here.

Little progress had been made in implementation of 30-point agreement reached between Orissa government and mediators for release of collector R Vineel Krishna, who had been abducted by naxals on February 16, this year, he said.

Ganti Prasadam, whose release was one of the major demands of the abductors of Krishna, was freed from Koraput jail on July one following withdrawal of case against him by Orissa government.

Referring to the tribals lodged in jails on the charge of having links with ultras, Prasadam said during his days as a prisoner he had come to see the plight of the innocent jailed tribals from close quarters.

Endorsing Ganti`s views, one of the naxal-chosen mediators Dandapani Mohanty said so far only five tribals had been released after withdrawal of charges against them.

Prasadam and Mohanty claimed over 500 innocent tribals were still languishing in several jails in the state and demanded that they should be immediately released.

Mohanty alleged that in violation of the agreement, the government was carrying out combing operation and implicating innocent tribals charging them as Maoists.

Prasadam and Mohanty were here to attend a meeting of "Rajnaitak Bandimukti Committee" (release of political prisoners` committee) in which relatives of prisoners were also present.

Over 500 innocent tribals were still languishing in several jails of the state, Prasadam and Mohanty claimed.

The duo also sought the immediate release of the jailed tribals.

Mohanty alleged that in violation of the agreement, the government was carrying out combing operations and implicating innocent tribals as Maoists.