Maoist bandh hits life in tribal belt

MALKANGIRI: Vehicles remained off the road and normal life was hit in most parts of the district in the wake of three-day bandh call given by the Maoists.

The Orissa bandh call has been given by the Maoists to register their protest against the killing of two of their cadres in a recent encounter near Tankelguda village under Motu police limits.

Many areas in Korukonda, Kalimela, Chitrakonda, Podia, Balimela and Motu remained cut off from the district headquarters since Thursday morning with the Maoists blocking the road by digging trenches and felling trees. Several long distance buses from Bhubaneswar and other places remained stranded at Malkangiri town.

Maoists had put up large banners and posters at many locations in the district asking people to defy police for ‘killing innocent people in the name of countering the extremists’.

A banner was found hanging at the Korukonda block office main entrance, just 15 km from the district headquarters. SDPO Sanjeev Arora and his team rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

Meanwhile, police are taking measures to clear the blockades on State Highway- 25. No untoward incident has been reported from any part of the district so far. The bandh, however, had no effect in the neighbouring districts.