Operators on Wednesday stopped lunch service from Chitrakonda to the cutoff area of Malkangiri district after getting threat call from a few unknown miscreants, suspected as Maoists.
The private lunch operators decided not to ply powerboats on the water bodies between Chitrakonda and Kudumulgumma and its five panchayats. Due to sudden discontinue of six lunches, many tribals were waiting to return to their villages in the cutoff area of Chitrakonda. Though the actual source of the threat was yet to be ascertained, Maoist involvement in the case could not be ruled out, sources said.
After getting complaints from the locals, Chitrakonda Tehsildar said he would attract the attention of the district administration and the Executive Engineer of the Water Resources Department to solve the issue.
As the power boat service is lifeline for the tribals who reside in the cutoff area, the present situation would badly impact the communication in future also, said the sources.