Orissa police gear up as Maoists call for two days chaka bandh

Bhubaneswar, Jun 13 (UNI) High alert was sounded in the Maoist infested districts in Orissa following a two day ''Chaka-Bandh'' called by the CPI (Maoists) and its seven frontal organizations to protest the recent ban imposed on them.

Inspector General of Police B B Mishra said additional police reinforcement had been rushed to the most sensitive areas to prevent any further untoward incident during the two day bandh on June 14 and June 15.

He said though adequate police force comprising three battalion of the CRPF and nearly 45 platoons of the Orissa State Armed Police(OSAP) force had been deployed in the naxalite infested districts, more force had been dispatched as per the request of the Superintendent of police of the district.

All the police stations in Sambalpur, Deogarh,Sundargarh, Keonjhar, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada and Malkangiri were also alerted and asked to keep a strong vigil on the movement of the Maoists during the two day chaka bandh agitation, Mr Mishra said.

A Sambalpur report quoting Superintendent of Police S Devadutta Singh said there was every possibility that the Maoists would resort to disruption of public transport, including trucks, as per their earlier declaration.

The SP said considering the experience of January 26 last when Maoists blocked road at Badarama on National Highway number 6 and Charmal on National Highway number 42 of Sambalpur, efforts would be made for smooth movement of buses and trains during these two days.

Similar arrangement would also made on National Highway number 6 and 200 in Deogarh district.

Meanwhile, the police and the paramilitary forces had launched a joint combing operation at many places in the naxalite infested districts to flush out the Left wing ultras and foil their Chaka bandh agitation.

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