: Tortured and harassed by Maoists, around 60 tribal families from the cut off area of Balimela reservoir in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, have left their homes.
Members of these families approached the administration and Malkangiri Superintendent of Police (SP) on Wednesday seeking security and proper rehabilitation.
These tribal families are from Andrapalli and Panasaput villages under Andrapalli panchayat of Chitrakonda block. Speaking to The Hindu , Malkangiri SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra said the families had stated they had left their village and were staying with their relatives for the last one month.
According to these villagers, they were being targeted by Maoists for the past few months. They alleged that for no reason Maoists had termed them police informers and their houses had been burnt or ransacked. Some of them were tortured by the Maoists.
They complained that two villagers of their area had been murdered by Maoists in the recent past. But Malkangiri district police headquarter confirmed only one murder. The deceased was identified as Dasa Maandi of Jantri village of Andrapalli panchayat.
In the meantime, the police have registered three cases in relation to terrorisation of tribal families by Maoists including one related to the murder of Maandi.
The SP has taken up the matter with the administration so that some vocational training could be provided to these families under different government schemes to support their livelihood and rehabilitation.
Mr Mohapatra said the exodus of these families was part of terror tactics of frustrated Maoists, who were losing base in the cut off area of Balimela reservoir due to increased area domination of security forces.
The construction of Gurupriya bridge has also started which would provide proper road connectivity to 151 remote villages of this cut off area of Balimela reservoir. Frustrated by the dwindling support base, the Maoists have started using violence to terrorise innocent tribal families, said the SP.
On the other hand, Maoists also came up with a statement that these families from the cut off area had not been terrorised by them, and alleged that the police had tactfully taken away these families from their villages.
This was denied by the police.
Maoists allege the police tactfully took away these families from their villages
