Cops at work to clear Maoist road blocks

KORAPUT: The district administration on Thursday set about clearing roads blocked by Maoists by felling trees. For the past four days,Narayanpatna remained cut off from the rest of the state owing to the blockade of Red rebels.

"We have started clearing the roads. We hope that vehicles will roll into Narayanpatna cut off since August 17 on Friday. At first, the Narayanpatna-Laxmipur Road will be cleared," said collector (Koraput) Gadadhar Parida.

The administration has pressed two teams from the Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), a bomb disposal squad and a large number of securitymen, including CRPF and SOG jawans into service, to clear the Laxmipur-Narayanpanta Road.

Maoists have blocked the 20-km road at three places by felling big trees. The ODRAF team is equipped with large tree-purner machines and vehicle-mounter power generators.

The Maoists began their offensive on August 14 to make their presence felt in the area. They first blocked the Narayanpatna-Bandhugaon Road and than the one connecting Laxmipur on August 17. On August 19, the Red rebels blocked the Narayanpatna-Damanjodi Road near Bijaghat, denying all access to the area by the administration.

The block is facing an acute crisis of essential commodities inconveniencing people. People have to trek for 20 km to reach either Laxmipur or Bandhugaon to buy things.

"When a place remains cut-off for so many days, it is evident that there will be a shortage of essential commodities. Nothing can be done till the roads are not cleared," the collector said.

In June, Narayanpatna remained cut off for over two weeks after Maoists blocked all connecting roads by felling trees. On June 18, as many as nine security personnel were killed in a landmine blast triggered by Red rebels while they were travelling in a jeep to provide security to an ODRAF team.