The dawn-to-dusk bandh call given by the Maoists in Koraput and Malkangiri districts in South Odisha on Wednesday had no impact.
The bandh call had been given by the Srikakulam-Koraput Divisional Committee (SKDC) of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
To the exception of buses of the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), all passenger vehicles plied their services in Koraput as well as Malkangiri districts as usual. Small passenger vehicles that ply in the remote rural pockets too were not affected.
The OSRTC, as per the decision of its management, preferred to keep its fleet off the road as a precautionary measure.
Shops, educational institutions, banks, government as well as non-government institutions remained open in all the areas of these districts.
As per Koraput SP Awinash Kumar and Malkangiri Sub-Divisional Police Officer Shiva Subramaniam, security had been intensified to check any attempt to unleash violence by the Maoists.
The inter-State borders of both the districts were under strict vigil and all vehicles entering the districts were being checked. Combing operation had also been intensified in the Maoist-prone areas by the local police and paramilitary forces.
Some Maoist posters were sighted in the remote areas. As per the posters found in Narayanpatna block of Koraput district, the Maoists had given the bandh call to protest against presence of paramilitary forces in remote Maoist-prone areas of the districts.
The Maoists were also protesting against what they called deteriorating law and order situation in Odisha, arrest of “innocent people” and increase in atrocities against women.
The Maoists blamed both the Central and State governments for it.
The posters charged the elected representatives of panchayat bodies with helping the police in their fight against the Naxalites. The Maoists demanded that the elected panchayat body members resign within one month.
“This is nothing but frustration in the Maoist organisation because of their diminishing support base and presence,” said the Koraput SP.
