Visakhapatnam: District collector Pravin Kumar, Superintendent of Police (Visakha Rural) Rahul Dev Sharma and others officers from various departments reached the interior Pedapadu area under G.K. Veedhi mandal in Vizag Agency by helicopter to conduct Sadbhavana yatra as part of community policing on Wednesday.
It was the first time that top officials from Vizag region visited Pedapadu which is the native place of slain Maoist Gemmeli Narayan Rao alias Jambri who was killed in an exchange of fire with security forces on February 24, 2017. The Yatra was successful with over 600 youngsters and others from 25 villages (Ku-mkumpudi, Lakkavaram, Kothapalem, Veeravaram and few others areas which were once the stronghold of Maoists) attending the meeting.
Rahul Dev Sharma interacted with the villagers and some villagers expressed th-at the Maoists were obstructing the developmental activities in the Agency area. The police chief asked the villagers not to extend any cooperation to the Maoists or to join dalams.
The district collector sanctioned ration cards and pensions to some of the beneficiaries during the grievance cell and he assured that soon they will take steps to lay roads in interior villages and provide some more basic amenities.
