As per reports, the six CCTV cameras have been installed at the bridge and will help to keep a track on movement of Maoists as well as assist BSF personnel to provide better security in the region.
Besides, a tender has also been floated for proper illumination of the Gurupriya bridge at the cost of Rs 40 lakh. Over 60 lights will be installed on the both sides of the bridge apart from two high mast lights on its northern side.
"Tender process for lighting of the bridge is almost over," said junior engineer Suresh Mishra.
The 910-metre-long bridge will connect nearly nine panchayats in the cut-off areas benefiting about 30,000 people, reports said.
The bridge will also help the district administration officials extend all the welfare projects including electricity and drinking water facilities, Rabindra Behera, a resident of the cut-off areas.
The foundation stone for the bridge was laid in 1982 by the then chief minister, JB Patnaik and again by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in 2000. After missing several deadlines in the past, the project is expected to be inaugurated shortly.
Water level of the reservoir has decreased to 1,459 ft from 1,516 ft as 3,000 cusec water per sec is getting released to Andhra Pradesh through the defunct emergency gate. Authorities of the reservoir have failed to shut the emergency gate which was opened for repair purposes three months back, thereby affecting movement of motor launches which serve the cut-off areas.
More than 30,000 people residing in the cut-off areas depend on launch service as their only mode of commute. However, due to decline in water level, launch services have already been affected to Sindhiput, Bihanagudi, Badriguda, Jantri, Guguli, Totaguda and Titalapadar.
Villagers of the cut-off areas are now being forced to walk for 10 to 15 kms and are also facing difficulties in transporting goods from one place to another.
Sadhu Hantala, a resident of cut-off area, said, "Motor launches are getting stuck either in trees or small hillocks inside the reservoir due to a decline in water level."
Expressing similar views, launch driver Ram Nayak said, "As water levels have receded significantly and the service cannot continue in Balimela reservoir."
If the situation persists, residents of more than 150 villages are likely to be affected, informed sources.
As work for construction of the 910-metre long bridge is going on a tardy pace, doubts are being raised on completion of the project by February.
Three steel girders of the bridge are yet to be erected. While 70% of railing work is yet to be done, 80% of gridding work remains incomplete. Stone packing and colour works have not started yet. Similarly the 1,200 metre approach road is half-done.
“The work is going on at a snail’s pace,” said Pabitra, a resident of the cut-off area, adding that the bridge work is likely to continue till April as visible from the incomplete work so far.
However, officials of the contract organization and government emphatically stated the Gurupriya bridge work will be over in February as per the deadline.
Niranjan Kumar, project manager, Royal Infra, said, “Most of the pending work will be completed by the first week of February. Deck slab work will be completed by the month-end.”
Suresh Mishra, Junior Engineer of Works department, Malkangiri, stated, “Once the bridge gets completed, raw materials will be taken to the other side and approach road will be constructed within the deadline.”
Earlier, deadline for the completion of bridge work was September of 2017. Later it was shifted to November and then February this year.
The chopper will remain stationed in the district for another few days. “If need arises, it will be utilized for anti-Maoist operations,” said Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena.
On October 16, the ultras had looted all the ration meant for BSF after intercepting the boats at Kotagoda Ghat.
Meanwhile, a villager of Panasputa was allegedly shot dead by red rebels suspecting him to be a police informer.
The deceased, identified as Sama Pangi was shot at near the Chitrakonda ghat. Pangi had been staying in Chitrakonda for past two years. He also attended a kangaroo court trial by Maoists.
Yesterday, the ultras killed a villager of Lahidi village located in the border between Kandhamal and Kalahandi while observing a bandh in five districts of the State.
Besides, the red rebels also allegedly abducted a woman suspecting her to be a police informer from the village.
Demanding immediate arrest of the accused in gang rape of a minor in Kunduli, a check on violence against tribal women and solution to Mahanadi water row, the Bansadhara-Ghumusura-Nagabali division of the CPI (Maoist) had observed the bandh yesterday.
Out of 15 families in Ramaguda, members of 12 families have moved out of their houses leaving behind food grains and cattle in the village after frequent tortures were inflicted on them by naxals, complained some villagers.
Meanwhile, whereabouts of other families of the village are yet to be known.
The frightened villagers alleged that the rebels tortured them by assaulting them following the joint operation of Andhra-Odisha police in which 24 naxals were killed in October last year. Besides, the ultras had threatened the villagers to punish them in praja court trial in case they inform police about the ordeal.
The red rebels had killed two villagers after a praja court trial at Damagada on May 3.
The cut off areas which are characterised by difficult terrains will now have access to medical services on water. Around 30, 000 inhabitants of these cut off areas spanning across 10 panchayats and 151 villages will be benefitted as the boat ambulances with doctors, nurses, pharmacists will sail to every village to provide healthcare services.
“A new boat has been provided by the State government at a cost of Rs 70 lakh. It will be maintained properly and provide better healthcare going forward,” said Chitrokonda MLA, Sisa.
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The boat ambulance houses separate cabins for doctors, nurses and pharmacists. Moreover, it has special beds for patients and is equipped with facilities where delivery to minor surgeries can be carried out. The boat also has life jackets.
“The health officials will be able to reach the villages which are not being able to get proper medical care. The boat will keep moving in two phases of 10 days each for 20 days a month,” said Malkangiri SDMO, Uday Mishra.
The deceased village guard, identified as Jaga Rao, is killed by the naxals on suspicion of being a police informer, said sources.
Earlier, on Friday evening, Maoists shot dead a villager in MV-79 of Malkangiri after calling him from house to outside.
A poster left behind by the ultras near the deceased’s body, identified as Raghu Hantala of Cheliamunda, mentioned the villager was killed for being a police informer.
As nomination filing process has been disrupted in five panchayats of the cut-off areas due to the recent happenings, the State Election Commission (SEC) might extend the deadline for poll candidates of the panchayats for filing of papers as well, the sources added.
A new last date for nomination filing for Panasput, Andrapalli, Jantri, Gajalmamudi, Jodamba panchayats in cut-off areas are likely to be announced today, the sources mentioned.
Also read: SEC announces schedule for Panchayat polls
The SEC might also think of holding panchayat polls in the cut-off areas only amid special security later once the voting process gets over in other parts of Odisha, the sources further said.
Notably, the state poll commission had earlier notified that nomination papers can be filed in between January 11 and 17. Scrutiny will be held on January 18 while the last date for nomination withdrawal is January 21. The final list of poll candidates will be announced on the same day.
The panchayat polls will be held in five phases: February 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21.
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.
As parts of the strategy of the state government, DIG, south-western range S Saini today took stock of the situation in the cut-off areas in Malkangiri district.
After her arrival in the district headquarters here in the morning, Saini, accompanied a team of armed policemen led by the district Superintendent of Police, reached the BSF camp at Badapada the cut-off area in Pawan Hans helicopter and had a discussion with the BSF personnel on anti-Maoist operation. Later she visited the place where the former district collector R Vineel Krishna was abducted. She also went to the nearby villages covering a distance of 7-10 km by foot after crossing small rivers with the help of country boats and interacted with the villagers about their problems and assured them of necessary help by the district administration.
Talking to media persons after her return, Saini said she had gone to the cut-off areas for a survey. To take up developmental works in these areas, additional deployment of Central forces is under active consideration. “We had a discussion with the BSF personnel at Badapada camp on setting up of additional camps”, she added
“What I found that the plight of the people in the cut-off area of this district is miserable. We discussed with the district administration to sort of the problems of these people”, Saini said.
There are 151 villages in seven panchayats in the cut-off area of Malkangiri district surrounded by hills and dense forest. Since there is no communication to these villages, the people are deprived of basic amenities.
Taking advantage of the inaccessibility, this area has become a safe haven for the Maoists of Kudumulugumma Dalam who had ambushed 38 Grey Hound personnel of Andhra Pradesh police at Alampakka area on June 29, 2008 and later abducted former district collector R Vineel Krishna on February 16, 2011.
The ‘Fatwa’ came in the form of a writing on a board which states that whoever uses a mobile phone without consent from the group will be prosecuted in the ‘praja court’, a kangaroo court operated by the extremists.
Talking to OTV, former DGP of Odisha, Bipin Bihari Mishra said, “It’s a ploy to incite fear among the public. The intensified security operations in the recent past have forced the red rebels to take back seat.”
Condemning the warning, Mishra further said, “It’s totally unconstitutional. Today they have warned not to use mobiles, and if we don't put a check, tomorrow they may warn not to marry too. This menace needs to be dealt with brute force.”
“It seems the LWEs (Left Wing Extremists) have resorted to this after resentment against them grew a lot in recent times seeing people not hesitating to inform the police about their movements. Without a mobile phone, informing the police would be hard,’ added Mishra.
Notably, the cut-off area that was very fondly named as ‘Swabhiman Area’ by CM Neveen Patnaik after inauguration of Gurupriya Bridge, witnessed many uprisings by the local tribes demanding basic amenities in their area.
Family members alleged that the police didn’t pay attention to their request and let the body rot on the road for more than two days. Dejected by the apathy of police, they reportedly brought the body by tying it on the back of a motorbike to Hantalguda for 20 kms from where the body was transported to Malkangiri hospital for post mortem.
A blood soaked letter was reportedly recovered from the shirt pocket of the deceased through which the suspected left wing extremists have warned the locals not to toe the line of either police or the administration and surrender before their parallel court in three days failing which they would meet the same fate as Dinabandhu as well.
Speaking to mediapersons, a relative of Dinabandhu alleged, “Despite our repeated requests to investigate the death, police neither went to the spot nor provided any assistance to move the body which is why we made our own arrangements and brought the body on a motorcycle,” he added.
A grief stricken nephew of Dinabandhu said, “There is a police station near the spot where my uncle was killed. We requested the police many times to recover the body but they denied saying there might be land mines put by the Maoists in the area.”
Notably, some people believed to be left wing extremists allegedly called Dinabandhu out to Panasput market and killed him midway suspecting him to be a police informer.