DIG admits increase in Maoist activities

Kakinada, Jul 24 (UNI) Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (Eluru Range) Hassan Reza today said there was a slight increase in the Maoists' activity in the East Godavari district agency area, part of the Andhra-Orissa Border (AOB) region, after the recent Balimela encounter in which 38 police personnel were killed.

Talking to newspersons here, he admitted that the police had committed certain errors in the Balimela episode and it would proceed with much better strategies in combing operations.

''The police is strong enough and not demoralised. The Maoists will not succeed in their attempts to create lawlessness and they should eschew violence,'' he asserted.

Claiming that the police was on a high alert and combing operations were going on by adopting new strategies, the DIG said the tribals were no longer harbouring the Maoists.

Interior agency areas in Telangana, which were once the strongholds of the Maoists, were now cleared of the problem because of the increased awareness among the villagers, he added.

Even in the East Godavari agency area, the tribals were keeping themselves away from the Maoist influence, he claimed.

''The remote areas are now well connected by roads and gradually developing. All this was possible because of awareness among the tribals on the situation and their decision to not patronise the Maoists, who used to hinder the development,'' he remarked. UNI XC VA BDP AS1849