CPI (Maoist) rebels taking advantage of police’s pre occupation with maintenance of public order in the four-day Chhath festival torched one tractor, one generator set and one bike at a bridge construction site on the Mahuadarn Lodh Fall Road in Latehar district on November 12.
However, heavy road making tools like JCB machine, poklen etc remained safe as these were not at the construction site on that evening.Sources said had the site manager too removed these things from the site and parked them near the other heavy road making tools in a nearby village this incident would not have happened then.
Sources said Maoists are torching property of road making tools/equipments as it is a soft target for them besides it creates terror as well.
Sources said this arson of Maoists during the period of Chhath has happened after a gap of 10 years.SP, Latehar, Prashant Anand, said the arson was committed by a squad of Mirtunjay and security forces are out to neutralize him and his squad. One other dreaded Maoist Bhushan is also in his squad.
According to ASP Mahuadarn Ehtesham Waquarib a contingent of 25 to 30 Maoists wearing black uniform reached the bridge construction site and inquired about the agency doing this construction and then the Maoists set afire tractor, gen set and one bike.
Waquarib said quoting version of the site manager that some of the Maoists had lathis too in their hands while others had weapons of all kinds.
They had lathis with them but it was not rained on any worker at this site said ASP quoting the version of the manager.
A Chhatisgarh firm has taken up this construction, widening and strengthening of Mahuadarn Lodh Fall Road. The road is too vital for tourism here as Lodh Fall is a major attraction of tourists who come to Palamu tiger reserve or visit Netarhat.
On being asked that Maoists’ burning of three articles at the work site on the road that leads to Lodh Fall will be a kind of repulsion to tourists SP Latehar said “ See this bad face of Maoists.
These people are destroying prospects of tourism. Our police will teach them a lesson.
All these aberrations by Maoists will harm them more as tourists who are generally outside of the state will know their diabolical designs far better after having a look at their mayhem of property.”ASP Waquarib said as per preliminary investigation the Maoists came on foot and retreated on foot as well.
About any hand written parcha left behind by them at the work site ASP said, “We are looking for it. The site manager had not given any parcha so far to police.”
On security cover here SP declined to elaborate saying, “ We cannot reveal this but it is assured it will be quite a deterrent to Maoists.”
Sources said Maoists’ levy has fallen this season from ‘bidi patta’ (read kendu leaves) because of GST on it. A kendu leaf trader of Daltonganj requesting anonymity said GST on leaf has holed the purse that used to go into the hands of the Maoists.
