Despite major setbacks, the Maoists' ability to inflict damage on the State and maintain its position as the saviour of the tribals will keep them relevant, says Bibhu Prasad Routray.
The Odisha government stepped up relief and restoration activities as cyclone Hudhud passed to neighbouring Chhattisgarh on Monday after claiming three lives, damaging about 50,000 thatched houses, electrical infrastructure and roads in four districts.
Intensifying efforts for the release of the abducted Malkangiri Collector R V Krishna, two Maoist-chosen mediators on Thursday left for Koraput for talks with the rebels even as the Orissa government said it is hopeful of some positive developments soon.
It is not uncommon to see patients in Odisha being carried to hospitals on cots for miles. Recently, this picture was reversed when a doctor carried a pregnant woman to hospital on a cot for 12 km.
A deputy commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force and two constables were killed in a blast triggered by suspected Maoists in Orissa's Malkangiri district on Friday. The explosion took place when a CRPF convoy was moving towards Laxmipur from Madhuban-89, CRPF sources said.The CRPF officer killed in the blast has been identified as Bhupinder Singh.
Maoists disrupted several communication links in Orissa on Monday by torching government buses and triggering landmine blasts to destroy mobile towers, besides damaging a forest beat house, prior to their 12-hour shutdown in the state's southern districts.As a result of their disruptive activities, the movement of buses and telephone communication were affected in Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Ganjam districts.
A senior official of Orissa's Maoist-hit Malkangiri district on Wednesday went missing and was suspected to have been abducted by Naxalites when he was going to attend a camp for local development in a remote area, officials said in Bhubaneswar.
Rail and road services were disrupted in some parts of Orissa as a two-day Bharat Bandh called by the Maoists in protest against the death of a top Naxal leader began on Wednesday.
The enhanced allowance will be applicable to all paramilitary personnel deployed in Jammu and Kashmir and Naxal-hit areas.
Hardcore Maoist Sriramula Srinivas alias Sudarshan, wanted in connection with several cases including the killing of former Andhra Home Minister A Madhava Reddy and carrying a reward of Rs 20 lakh on him, was arrested in Khammam district, police said on Sunday.
The Orissa government on Tuesday said that it would take the help of para-military forces like the Central Reserve Police Force to face the challenge. "We will initiate action through para-military force and the local police to stop children from joining Maoists," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said. The banned CPI-Maoist had targeted poor children and school dropouts to expand their base in the area.
At least three Border Security Force personnel were killed and two injured when Naxals blew up their vehicle in an improvised explosive device blast in Odisha's Koraput district on Tuesday.
This time however, the poll panel did not share the overall polling percentage at its briefing.
Naxals looted six automatic weapons -- two AK-47s and as many INSAS and self loading rifles -- of the deceased personnel.
Over 2 lakh people living in and around the vulnerable coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have been evacuated with Cyclone 'Hudhud' set to hit the two states no Sunday with winds gusting up to 195 kmph.
Concerned over high incidents of violence, the Home ministry has asked the Election Commission to conduct the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in 33 Naxal-hit districts in the first phase to ensure maximum security and minimum casualties.
The cyclone would bring light to moderate rains at most places and 'heavy to very heavy downpour' at some places on November 6.
BJD managed to retain 112 seats securing another term for Patnaik in the CM chair.
The nationwide death toll on Friday rose to 2005 as the intense heat wave continued to sweep many parts of the country, with Palamau in Jharkhand recording the highest temperature of 47 degrees Celsius.
Documents seized by security forces in Maoist-hit Koraput district reveal that the rebels appear to have started training cadres to gun down helicopters used in ferrying security personnel for counter-insurgency operations.
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At least 16 people have died in flood-related incidents in Odisha, where the situation remained grim even as major rivers were receding on Saturday. Two deaths each were reported from Bhadrak, Jajpur and Nayagarh districts while in worst-hit Ganjam district it remained unchanged at six and four in Jagatsinghpur, Special Relief Commissioner P K Mohapatra told reporters here after the situation was reviewed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
More than two lakh paramilitary personnel, thousands of vehicles and nearly a dozen helicopters will be deployed across the country to ensure smooth and violence-free elections beginning April 7.
Cyclone 'Phailin', which was to make landfall two days from now, possibly near Gopalpur in Odisha and in north Andhra Pradesh, on Thursday intensified into a severe cyclonic storm travelling slightly northwest and lying about 800 km from Paradip in Odisha.
The killer heat wave brought the nationwide toll to 2,338 even as some places like Delhi got respite on Monday.
The ultras for the first time this season put up pamphlets, banners and flags on Thursday, appealing to people to observe Maoist week -- from July 28 to August 3.
by relentlessly campaigning to highlight the indifference of the Centre to safeguard the interests of Odisha in these inter-state disputes, the BJD is seeking to pin down the BJP.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a warning that the heat wave condition is likely to occur at isolated places in all districts in Telangana on Sunday.
After being pounded for an entire day by Cyclone Hudhud, the storm is weakened on Monday leaving behind a trail of destruction in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
Incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Punjab as protesters agitated against the dilution of the SC/ST Act.
