Efforts to release two hostages from Maoists: Naveen

Bhubaneswar, Aug 10 (UNI) Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today told the state Assembly that all efforts were being made by the government to ensure the safety and early release of two government employees taken hostage by the Maoists.

Making a suo motto statement in the state assembly, Mr Patnaik said Junior Engineer of Mohana Block Binod Kumar Kissan and peon Prasad Pattnaik were detained and kept hostage by the Maoists since yesterday.

He said the two government employees with another local resident were going on foot towards Gudaripanka village under Adaba police station area of Gajapati district when the Maoist militants asked them to disclose their identity.

After knowing the identity, the Maoists took them as hostages and sent two letters, reportedly to have written by the hostages to their family members stating that they were fine and would not be able to return home due to some urgent work.

The Chief Minister said a case in this connection has been registered in the Adaba police station area and the case was under investigation.

He, however, assured the members that the state government would make all out efforts to ensure that the two employees would be released early from the Maoists.

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