KANDHAMAL/BERHAMPUR: After a lull of around a fortnight, Maoists once again made their presence felt in Kandhamal district by torching vehicles engaged in construction of a road in Baliguda on Sunday night. The Naxals set afire four vehicles of a contractor who is constructing a road at Kanjalagu ghat. Sources said 10-12 armed Maoists arrived at the camp site of the contractor and threatened the workers to stop construction of the 8 km stretch Public Works Department (PWD) road inside the Kanjalagu-Parubhhata forest.

They set on fire a truck, tipper, tractor and a water tanker parked at the temporary site. Before fleeing, the Maoists left a banner at Kanjamendi Chowk which stated that they were members of the Kalahandi-Kandhamal-Boudh-Nayagarh (KKBN) division of the banned CPI (Maoist).Through the poster, the ultras appealed to people to support the shutdown call from August 18-24 to protest the brutal encounter in Sirla forest under Tumudibandha police limits last month in which six Maoists were killed by security personnel.

On being informed, District Voluntary Force (DVF) and SOG jawans rushed to the spot. Suspecting ambush and planting of land mines by the Maoists, the jawans are moving with utmost precaution, said a senior police officer.While the incident has sparked panic among locals, police and security forces have intensified combing operation in the area.Last month, Kandhamal police busted Maoists camps and gunned down six Naxals on two different dates.