Odisha government was waiting for the kidnappers of tribal BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka to name mediators.
The negotiations for release of Italian Paolo Bosusco would take some more time since the Maoist mediators have placed some new demands, while the Odisha government was waiting for the kidnappers of tribal BJD MLA Jhina Hikaka to name mediators.
"The state government has received some additional demands from mediators appointed by Maoists on the kidnapping of Italian Paolo Bosusco. They are being examined," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik informed the state assembly today.
Without elaborating on the nature of the fresh demands, the chief minister said, as their examination might take a day or more, the negotiation between the three government negotiators and two Maoist mediators might be delayed for a brief period.
While the Maoists freed 61-year-old Italian tourist Claudio Colangelo as a goodwill gesture Sunday, 54-year-old Bosusco, his compatriot and Puri-based tour operator was still being held captive. The two were abducted in Kandhamal district on March 14.
The Maoist mediators B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty had given a memorandum to the chief minister last night on the Maoist demands based on issues related to policies and basic problems of tribals.
Mohanty had said that Bosusco was in good health.
With the Maoists, which abducted 37-year-old Laxmipur MLA from Koraput district on March 24, unwilling to have mediators for his release, a senior official said "We hope the Maoists will announce the names of their negotiators soon so that discussion for Hikaka's release can start."
The chief minister last night asked the ultras to join the negotiation table to resolve the issue.
Though the ultras have placed a list of demands for the release of the BJD MLA, the issues were complex which would be difficult to resolve without a detailed discussion.
The Odisha government had confirmed that some Maoist demands like halt to the combing operation and release of jailed ultras had been conceded.
Patnaik had also said that cases against 83 activists of the Naxal-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS) had been withdrawn.
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