Maoists raided worksite camp of a construction firm involved in road construction in Laxmipur area in Koraput district and torched two vehicles on Sunday night.
The construction firm was involved in construction of road under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Its worksite camp was located near Karligaon under Laxmipur police station limits. The road this firm was constructing would connect Karligaon with the Rayagada-Laxmipur main road.
The Maoists torched an excavator and a tipper that were parked at the campsite. But according to sources they did not harm any one there.
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Following the incident intense combing operation has been launched in the area to track down the Maoists involved in the incident.
It was suspected to be handwork of ultras of Koraput-Srikakulam division of CPI (Maoist).
Recently Maoists have started targeting soft targets like campsites of construction firms in remote areas as well passenger buses travelling to Maoist-hit areas. On December 20 night, a group of armed Maoists had torched three vehicles of a private construction firm near Sunabali village under Muniguda police station limits in Rayagada district. The vehicles that were burnt down included two tractors and an excavator. The construction firm was involved in construction of a road near Niyamgiri hills.
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In the past, Maoists have opposed construction of roads in remote areas inhabited by them.
They allege that these roads are meant for increasing penetration of anti-Maoist operations rather than benefiting the inhabitants living in remote areas. But according to police sources, Maoists mostly resort to such activity with the motive of extortion and to create panic among people living in the area. It is Maoists to resort to such acts of violence as these campsites of construction firms are located in extreme remote areas without any security.
Apart from it, the Maoists have in recent past torched two passenger buses in Malkangiri district Though they did not harm any passenger yet these acts of arson seemed to be aimed at terrorising the inhabitants living in remote areas as well as the transport operators plying buses to Maoist-hit areas.
On December 12, Maoists torched a private passenger bus near Bhejangwada in Malkangiri district.. Another passenger bus had been torched by them near Telarai square on Motu-Kalimela road in Malkangiri district on Dec 11.
The reason provided by the ultras for the burning of two passenger buses inMalkangiri district in the recent past was that these buses used to transport food materials to the BSF camps.
The Maoists were now targeting civilians and amenities related to people, said a senior police officer.