Andhra Pradesh: High alert sounded in Agency ahead of Maoists’ bandh today

VISAKHAPATNAM: A high alert was sounded in the agency villages of Visakhapatnam district ahead of the bandh call given by Maoists in the Andhra-Odisha Border area on July 1. The bandh call is in protest against the June 16 Teegelametta encounter in which six Maoists were killed. Security forces stepped up vigil in the entire area: bomb and dog squads have been deployed as the police gather information about the extremists’ movement.

Additional forces have been deployed to intensify combing in the forest areas even as drones keep vigil in Chintapalle, Mampa, Annavaram, GK Veedhi and Koyyuru police station limits. The Maoists, who suffered a setback following the encounter, are trying to retain their hold in the AOB area and the bandh call is seen as their attempt in this regard even as the intensified combing operations to nab the escaped ultras are in full force. T

he police said people were not supporting the bandh due to community policing and various developments, including skill development for tribal youth. Paderu SDPO Raj Kamal, in a statement, said the Maoists brutally killed at least 100 innocent tribals tagging them as police informers, and decapitated several others. The Maoists created rifts between people so as to retain their hold in the agency, he said.

In the documents seized during the Teegalametta encounter not even a single development work was mentioned by the Maoists. They were obstructing the works which meant for providing road network to Mandavalli, Saptaguda, Galikonda, Kothakonda, Annavaram, Nallabilli, Jerrikonda, Pothavaram and other villages, the police added.