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2-day Maoist bandh in Orissa, company guest house torched

Maoists torched the guest house of a private steel company in Orissa's Malkangiri district as they started their two-day bandh that hit normal life in the state's southern region today.

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Maoists torched the guest house of a private steel company in Orissa's Malkangiri district as they started their two-day bandh that hit normal life in the state's southern region today.

Around 50 armed ultras attacked the guest house of Essar Steel at Gajiagoda in Chitrakonda area of the district at midnight and set it ablaze, superintendent of police Satyabrata Bhoi said.

The left-wing extremists assaulted the guard of the guest house and stormed into the building. The ultras also beat up two company engineers and locked them up in a nearby house, he said, adding the two were rescued this morning.

Meanwhile, normal life was affected in Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Gajapati districts on the first day of the two-day bandh called by Maoists to protest the Centre's decision to launch offensive against them and the alleged police excesses, police sources said.

In Malkangiri, ultras blocked roads by felling trees halting vehicular movement in areas like Kalimela, Chitrakonda, MV-79 and Motu.

Shops and business establishments were closed in these areas but remained open at the district headquarter town of Malkangiri, they said.

The SP said security has been tightened across the district and strict vigil is being maintained along borders with Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In Sundargarh district, the bandh had partial impact while train services on Rourkela-Barsuan line was suspended for two days in view of the shut-down. Only one passenger train operates on the route, which is mainly used for transportation of minerals and raw materials for the Rourkela Steel Plant.

In Koraput district, Narayanpatna remained cut off from rest of the state as Maoists blocked two connecting roads by felling trees. The blockade between Narayanpatna and Laxmipur and Narayanpatna-Bandhugaon are yet to be removed, they said.

A senior police officer said that patrolling has been intensified and security forces are on high alert in all Naxal-hit areas of the state with additional forces being deployed at vulnerable places.

Vital installations and structures like police stations, jails, armouries and government buildings saw substantial enhancement of security, he said.

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