Adilabad: The state government is adopting a multi- pronged strategy to fight the Maoists to protect the development work from the latter’s violence in the state.
A shadow committee called Adilabad Praja Panula Rakshana Committee (public works protection committee) a first of its kind was floated allegedly backed by the police after Maoists torched the machinery used in construction of the inter-state bridge on river Pranahitha at Gudem village in Bejjur mandal on April 26, 2016.
It is learnt that such organisations will be in place in all the Maoist- affected areas in the districts where development work is going on especially districts sharing borders with river Pranahitha and Godavari.
Meanwhile, Maoists in the letter which was left behind after the violence at Gudem, opposed the big irrigation projects and opencast mines and alleged police harassment of innocent Adivasis in the name of combings.
On the other hand, the state government deployed huge police force including Greyhounds along the river Pranahitha and combing the areas on both the sides of the river in Telangana and Maharashtra using modern technology and landmine proof vehicles.
Joint operations by the Maharashtra, Telangana and Chhattisgarh are being done along the rivers Pranahitha and Godavari on both the sides giving a tough time to Maoists. Recently, three Maoists including dreaded Maoist Atram Shoban alias Charles of Adilabad were killed in an encounter that took place in the forests of Aheri taluk in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.
It is said that the state government wants to take people’s protection to the development work instead of just police security to counter the Maoist violence. Many inter-state bridges and barrages are being taken up on the river Pranahitha and Godavari in the state.
Wall posters of Adilabad Praja Panula Rakshana Committee surfaced at various towns and villages across the district opposing the Maoist violence and interference in the development works.
Recently, people of six villages took out a rally with placards, flexies in protest at Gudem in Bejjur on June 14 and local police officials participated in the rally.
Things moved fast in and along the river Pranahitha in both Telangana and Mahara-shtra side after top state police officers of Greyhounds Intelligence visiting the Gudem and conducting an inquiry about Maoists’ movements along the river and the torching incident.
Earlier, top police officials conducted a closed door meeting in the Maoist affected Devapur in Kasipet mandal to chalk out strategies to control the Maoist movement.
The wall posters claimed that people are preparing to form as Mythri Sangham to chase away the Maoists to protect the development work like bridges, roads, major and minor irrigation projects which are essential to the newly formed Telangana state.
The wall posters further claim that interior areas will develop only with the improved road connectivity. The district police officials launched Jana Mythri programme to get close to the people of interior areas and address their problems. SP Vikram Jeet Duggal visited the interior areas and interacted with the family members of underground Maoists and appealed to them to
convince their family members who had gone underground to surrender before the police.
