Martyrs' week halts southern Odisha districts

KORAPUT/BERHAMPUR: Vehicular movement came to a grinding halt in Maoist-hit Malkangiri district and in some parts of Koraput and Rayagada districts on the first day of Martyrs' Week on Monday.
Shops, markets and other business establishments remained closed in Kalimela area of Malkangiri district. Public transport system, including government-run vehicles, was completely paralyzed with no bus plying to Malkangiri from neighbouring Koraput district.
Hundreds of passengers were seen stranded at various bus stops in Malkangiri district. Many reached their destinations through taxi and auto. "Since morning I am waiting at the bus stand to go to Motu. I am worried what to do," said Samant Mohapatra, a passenger at Malkangiri bus stand.
Every year, the outlawed CPI (Maoist) observe the week from July 28 to August 3 to pay homage to cadres killed in police firing.
"Though security has been tightened, but we can't take a chance. It's better not to ply vehicles," said a bus operator of Jeypore in Koraput district.
Panic among the people was palpable as the Red rebels had murdered two persons just two days before the Martyrs' Week, suspecting them as police informers in Malkangiri. The extremists have also erected temporary martyr pillars in forests of Tekguda and cut-off areas to pay homage to slain comrades.
Similarly, buses stayed off roads at Narayanpatna, Bandhugaon and Lamataput in Koraput district and Gudari and Chadrapur in Rayagada district.
Keeping in view the threat perception, buses in 17 routes have been cancelled in Malkangiri, Koraput and Rayagada districts. "Our service to Malkangiri district will remain suspended till August 3," said district transport manager of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC), Jeypore division, Rajendra Pujari.
"The Left-wing extremists may try to attack vital installations. Police are kept on maximum alert and all precautionary measures taken to face any eventuality," said IG (south-western range) Yashwant Kumar Jethwa.
Reports from Berhampur said OSRTC has suspended plying of buses on some of its routes in Maoist-hit areas. Most of the buses are being diverted through Andhra Pradesh. The restriction on plying of OSRTC buses on their usual routes would continue till August 3, end of Martyrs' Week, said divisional manager (Berhampur) Amiya Kumar Mishra.
Private bus owners also decided not to ply their vehicles in some of the interior routes in Kandhamal and Gajapati districts, said a senior police officer.
Police, however, claimed vehicular traffic in interior parts of Kandhamal was not affected. "We have seen passenger vehicles plying at Kotagarh and Bramhanigaon," claimed SP (Kandhmal) K V Singh. Passenger buses plied as usual in Gajpati district too, said a police officer.