Naxals target BRO, mine machines in Chhattisgarh hit

Naxalites of People’s War Group (PWG) and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) have renewed their action in the tribal dominant Bastar and Balrampur of Chhattisgarh, bordering Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

46 Naxals give up in Andhra

HYDERABAD: As many as 46 CPI-ML(Jana Shakti) members surrendered to the government in the presence of CM N. Chandrababu Naidu here on Sunday. The Naxalites, in battle green uniforms, laid down arms and ammunition. The Naxals decided to turn themselves in after ideological differences cropped up between them and the state panel. Naidu said: ‘‘As far as the cases against them are concerned, the government would review these depending on their behaviour from now.’’ (ENS) Story continues below this ad

A day after armed PWG men killed a contractor and set ablaze seven Border Road Organisation (BRO) dumpers in Bhopalpatnam area of Bijapur police district, MCC Naxalites struck Balrampur area damaging machinery and equipment of Hindalco worth Rs 2 crore at Kutku bauxite mines.

Earlier last week, the Naxalites had issued statements demanding the scrapping of a proposed multi-crore steel plant project in Nagargar area of Bastar. The police, however, terms these as ‘‘sporadic cases’’. They also see it as an attempt to spread terror in the areas witnessing speedy development and getting better government attention.

Says DGP V.K. Das: ‘‘Naxalite activities have been effectively contained for the past one year. We have taken sufficient precautionary measures to deal with any threat from the Naxalites’’. There are almost 30 companies of armed police, beside normal presence in the police stations in the affected areas, he said. Reports reaching Raipur said the Naxals killed P.K. Gokhle, a contractor, on Friday. The incident took place at Chirapalli on National Highway no. 16 under Bastar police range. Gokhle, from Nagpur, had been engaged by BRO to supply material required in the highway work. After killing Gokhle, the naxalites also burnt down six BRO dumpers and damaged two trucks.

ADGP (Intelligence) Rajeev Mathur said the Naxalites made an abortive attempt to blow up police reinforcement parties by laying three major landmines.