State govt sounds alert over Maoists' North Bihar bandh call

Patna, May 14 (UNI) The Bihar government today sounded alert throughout the state in view of tomorrow's North Bihar bandh call given by Maoist ultras to protest the alleged police excesses on their supporters.

Sources at the state headquarters said the District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police of North Bihar had been directed to make foolproof security arrangements in their jurisdiction.

Special vigil was being maintained all along the Indo-Nepal international border adjoining Bihar, the sources said.

Night patrolling had been intensified in the Maoist-dominated areas and special deployment had also been made there, the sources added.

The Railway department had also alerted the GRP and RPF to foil any attempt of the Maoists to create trouble during their bandh call.

Security at the railway stations and along the railway tracks in North Bihar had been enhanced.

Meanwhile, the western zonal committee of North Bihar of the proscribed Maoist outfit said in a release here that the bandh call had been given by three units - North Bihar, North Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand - of the militant organisation.

''The people of the country are reeling under the soaring prices of essential commodities and police excesses while the government, along with the capitalists, is misleading the people in the name of maintaining law and order,'' the release stated.

The release further alleged that several comrades and supporters of the Maoists were being harassed unnecessarily and had to bear the brunt of police excesses.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police of Muzaffarpur range Arvind Pandey said the security in the region, especially that of the sensitive and public places, had been tightened and special deployment had been made from today itself at several prominent places.

He said the railway administration had been asked to initiate preventive steps and the patrolling had been intensified on the National Highway.

A report, received here from Samastipur, quoting police sources, said high alert had been sounded in all the adjoining districts, including Darbhanga, Madhubani and Begusarai.

The Samastipur rail division had also beefed up the security arrangemnts under its jurisdiction.

The Darbhanga Divisional Commissioner directed the concerned authorities to make elaborate security arrangements at all sensitive and public places, including railway stations, in the area.

UNI RS DPM KLC1532