Articles by "Malkangiri"
Malkangiri (Odisha), Aug 17: A woman Maoist, who carried a reward of Rs one lakh on her head, has surrendered before the police in Malkangiri district, the police said today.
Nayana Khilo (19) of Sanyasiguda village surrendered before Malkangigi SP Jagmohan Meena and BSF DIG Virendra Singh last evening, a police official said.
Nayana had joined the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in 2016 and worked in Gumma area under Malkangiri division of the outfit, Meena said.
She was on the wanted list of police for her alleged involvement in at least four offensives, the SP said adding the woman would be rehabilitated according to the surrender policy of the state government.
The woman decided to give up arms and return to the mainstream as she realised the futility of the violent approach of the Maoists, he said.
She will also get financial assistance for building house, studies and training in a trade or a vocation of her liking, he said. (PTI)
Malkangiri (Odisha), Jul 26: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated a bridge over Janbai river and announced Rs 100 crore for development of the area on its other side, which was cut-off for around five decades, in the Maoist-hit zone of the district.
The Rs 187.25 crore bridge will connect 151 villages in the cut-off area in Chitrakonda block. The area remained encircled by water on three sides after construction of reservoirs at Machhkund in 1960s and Balimela in 1980s.
There was no means of communication to the villages other than boat service, officials said.
Giving a new name to the cut-off area as "Swabhiman Anchal", Patnaik said Gurupriya bridge is the national pride and symbolises peace, cooperation & progress.
"It is a testimony to our commitment to integrate all parts of Odisha to mainland and thereby to prosperity. It is our dream come true and the Bridge Of Progress," Patnaik said.
"Gurupriya Setu signifies a resurgent#Odisha, will transform lives in 151 villages that were cut off for 5 decades. It is not just a bridge, it will be the identity & Swabhiman of #Malkangiri. I dedicate this special project of #Odisha and India #Jai Jagannath," Patnaik tweeted.
Calling upon left wing extremists to return to the mainstream, Patnaik said violence is not a solution to any problem. "Peace is essential for development," Patnaik said.
The programme was held amidst unprecedented security arrangements as the area is Maoist-affected.
Besides connecting 151 villages with 30,000 odd people, the bridge will provide tactical advantage to security personnel in tackling the Maoist menace, officials said.
The foundation stone of the bridge was laid way back in 1986 by the then chief minister JB Patnaik and again by Naveen Patnaik in 2000.
However, none came forward to take part in the bidding process attempted by the state and central governments mainly due to technical challenge of the site. Construction was very difficult there as, out of the total 910 m length of the bridge, the depth of water in a stretch of 240 m ranges from 70 to 90 feet, officials said.
The 910-metre-long bridge and 1200-metre approach road on either side have been built by a Kolkata-based firm. The work began in 2014 with the deployment of Border Security Forces at both ends of the bridge.
After inaugurating the bridge, Naveen Patnaik returned to the district headquarters and unveiled a new 300-bed annexe on the premises of the District Headquarters Hospital.
Addressing a meeting there, Patnaik announced Rs 100 crore special package for the cut-off area.
The fund will be utilised in construction of roads, bridges, development of health and education facilities, he said adding: "I will personally look after the development of the 151 villages in other side of Janbai river."
In view of Patnaik's visit, elaborate security arrangement was made both at the district headquarter town and also near Gurupriya bridge. (PTI)
Malkangiri (Odisha), Jul 11: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to inaugurate a bridge here on July 18, connecting the "cut-off areas" of the Maoist-hit district with the mainland, a government official said.
The Gurupriya bridge on river Janbai would ensure easy access to nearby towns for nine panchayats in the inaccessible areas of Malkangiri, considered a "safe haven of left wing extremists", he said.
Earlier this year, the state government had installed CCTV cameras on the bridge to help the BSF and CRPF personnel track the movements of Maoists in the area.
Dambaru Sisa, BJD MLA from Chitrakonda seat in Malkangiri district, said the construction work has been completed and the 910-metre-long Gurupriya bridge all set for inauguration on July 18.
"Cut off by Balimela reservoir, people living in the remote part of the district had been demanding a bridge on Janbai river for around 40 years. The new bridge would end decades of isolation for them," he added.
Former chief minister J B Patnaik had laid the foundation stone for the bridge in 1982. However, the inaccessibility of the site, coupled with other roadblocks including Maoist threats, resulted in delay of the project.
In 2014, Naveen Patnaik laid another foundation stone for the Gurupriya bridge and directed the officials to carry out the construction work at the earliest. (PTI)
Malkangiri (Odisha), Jun 21: Maoists gunned down a tribal man in Kalimela area of Malkangiri district in Odisha suspecting him to be a police informer, police said.
A group of around 20 Maoists stormed into the house of the victim, Ganga Madkami, at Sudhakunda village and dragged him out of his house late last night, Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Jagmohan Meena said.
The red rebels forcibly took Madkami, aged around 30, to a deserted place on the outskirt of the village and shot him dead, he said.
The assailants told the villagers that Madkami was eliminated as he was working as an informer for the police and helping them in anti-naxal operations, police said.
The SP said the body of the slain villager has been recovered and investigation was in progress.
Combing operation and patrolling in the area has been intensified by the security forces in the aftermath of the killing, he said.
Meena also made it clear that Madkami was not working as a police informer.
The killing of the tribal comes barely ten days after a village head, also a tribal, was seriously injured in the district when suspected Maoists shot at him on June 11. (PTI)
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