KARIMNAGAR: Following the recent violent acts of Maoists at sites of inter-state bridges on the Maharashtra-Telangana border areas, police is on tenterhooks ahead of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit to Medigadda for laying the foundation to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP), slated for May 2.
The site of this project is situated in Mahadevapur mandal, a stronghold of Left wing extremists, on the borders of Telangana, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.
Maoists reportedly set an excavator, a tipper and a tractor on fire at an inter-state bridge being erected at Gudem village in Bejjur mandal of Adilabad district, on April 27.
Earlier, a forest guesthouse and a jeep were torched allegedly by Naxalites, at the Tadvai mandal headquarters between Warangal and Eturunagaram on April 16. In the recent past, extremists killed a gunman of former MLA of Ahir, Deepak Athram.
In particular, Mukunoor and Neelampalli and Dammuru villages in Mahadevapur mandal are said to be a haven for extremists. Sources said that though Maoists had stopped their operations in Telangana, special teams of extremists belonging to Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh would often intrude into Mahadevapur mandal by crossing Godvari River on wooden boats.
Senior police officials say that "extra-precautionary steps" have been taken in the
wake of violent acts reported in the recent past. "Apart from the drill mentioned in
Chief Minister's security drill, additional measures are being taken up. The extra-
precautionary steps cannot be disclosed," stated a police official deployed in making security arrangements for Mr Chandrasekhar Rao’s visit.
Police stepped up security, vigil and surveillance of all vital installations in this
region. Area domination and combing operations were intensified. Kaleshwaram
temple has been taken under the control of the cops. Anti-sabotage operations are likely to be launched at suspected spots and metal detector door frame will be used to avoid untoward incidents at the time of CM’s tour.
The KLIP has been conceived as part of re-engineering of the ongoing Prahahita Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme following objections raised by the Maharashtra
government over height of barrage proposed at Tumdihetti of Adilabad. A barrage will be built at Medigadda village of Mahadevapur mandal at an estimated cost of Rs 3,524 crore.
