High Alert Sounded On Ap-odisha Border To Prevent Entry Of Maoists

VISAKHAPATNAM: Andhra Pradesh police have sounded a high alert on the border with Odisha to check infiltration of the outlawed Maoists into AP.

There have been a series of encounters in recent times in the neighbouring states of Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The most recent had been in southwest Odisha in which three Maoists died. This has prompted Maoists to shift camp to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

“We are not taking any chances. We have sealed the border and are frisking suspicious characters,” said ASR district police superintendent Amit Bardar.

Talking to this correspondent, the SP said their focus is on the Sileru area and GK Veedhi mandal in the district, which is close to the Odisha border.

“Combing is normal for Chintapalle and GK Veedhi. But we are now coming across police at every street corner. Even we had been stopped and questioned recently,” said the well-known Adivasi activist M. Rajababu.

Sources said youngsters among Maoists are fleeing from Chhattisgarh to AP or Telangana due to high repression by security forces. Lower-rung leaders are wanting to surrender in AP or TG, though not in their home state Chhattisgarh or Odisha.

Recently, ASR district police arrested two Maoists while combing the forest near Thadika Vagu village in Mothugudem panchayat of Chinturu mandal. In addition, 10 Maoists surrendered before ASR district SP Amit Bardar. Among the arrested are Madakam Manga, also known as Mangal, and Madivi Ramesh, alias Pradeep.

A source said ASR district is no longer witnessing Maoist activities. Young Adivasi are instead looking for gainful employment or business opportunities in the tourism sector. “Some of these youth have even taken to ganja smuggling, as it fetches good money within a short time,” a source stated.