Adilabad: The inter-state bridge coming up at Gudem and Arjunigutta on the Pranahitha and Godavari rivers respectively will help connect the people of Telangana and Maharashtra and cut links between Maoists of both states.
Inter-state bridges are coming up at Gudem village in Chinthanamanepalli mandal in Kumarambheem Asifabad district and Arjunigutta in Kotapalli mandal in Mancherial district. The bridge is being constructed at Arjunigutta with funds from the Centre.
The rise in the movement of people will hardly give Maoists a chance to migrate from one state to another. These bridges are likely to help the state government restrict the movement of Maoists. They will not only disconnect Maoists of both states, but also cut down chances of their interaction with people in the villages on the borders.
A senior police officer of Adilabad said that the two bridges will improve road connectivity between Telangana and Maharashtra and help the police control the Maoists’ movements even in state borders unlike in the past. It is easy for the police to intensify combing operations and eliminate Maoists with better coordination from neighboring states.
People of bordering villages face a lot of hardships to reach the other side as they have to cross the river in country-made boats risking their lives. There have been many incidents of boats capsizing and resulting in the death of people. Same is the case with Aheri bridge on Godavari River. The police also restrict Maoists from entering Telangana from Maharashtra where they are active and it is easy for the police forces to reach the other side in case of emergencies.
On June 17, 2016, Adilabad district committee member of Maoists Atram Shoban alias Charles along with two other Maoists were killed in an encounter close to the Gudem where the bridge is coming up. It may be recalled that a group of Maoists burnt machinery used in construction works at Gudem on April 27, 2016.
Subsequently, a shadow committee called ‘Adilabad Praja Panula Rakshana Committee’ reportedly backed by the local police and political leaders surfaced and villagers took out a rally in Gudem in then Bejjur mandal opposing the Maoists’ violence and attacking development works on April 29. Telangana police have been hunting for Charles who was leading the ‘Mangi dalam’ and was involved in torching the machinery used in construction of an inter-state bridge on Pranahitha River.
After Charles was killed in an encounter, Maoist activities came to a halt and in old Adilabad district and were confined to just the state borders in old Adilabad, Karimnagar and Warangal. There will be a break to Maoists activities even on the borders once the construction of the inter-state bridge is completed with people’s and vehicular movement. It is quite evident that the government is constructing the bridge with police protection.
