Suspected Maoists on Friday torched a contractor’s camp in Kalayansinghpur in Rayagada district damaging several road construction equipments in order to terrorise the people and police administration with just a few days left for the panchayat polls.
The Red rebels owing allegiance to the outlawed CPI(Maoist) set afire two earthmoving machines, two tractors and a water tanker belonging to a contractor engaged in road construction near Sandengleli in Parsali gram panchayat under Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district.
Maoist posters were seized from the site, reports added.
The contractor was engaged in construction of a road from Parsali to Gumma, to which the Maoists are opposed. In another development, an exchange of fire took place between Special Operations Group (SOG) jawans and Maoists in the Kutudi forest under Bijaghati panchayat in Koraput district on Thursday night.
However, no casualties were reported in the incident.
Acting on information about presence of the Red ultras in the area, the jawans had initiated an operation. The search operation by security personnel in the area has been intensified.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police (DGP) KB Singh on Friday visited Kandhamal and held discussions with four district Superintendents of Police (SPs) and reviewed the strategies of the police administration for free and fair elections in the Maoist-dominated districts.
Singh held discussions with the SPs of the Kandhamal, Boudh, Ganjam and Gajapati and assessed the current law and order situation and also advised the top cops about measures for the elections.
The DGP was accompanied by Director (Intelligence) Sunil Roy, IG (Operations) RP Koche and Intelligence DIG Narasingha Bhol.
The DGP had earlier visited Koraput, Malkangiri and other Maoist-dominated districts and reviewed the security arrangements for the panchayat elections.