Maoists set ablaze bulldozer, tractor in Odisha's Kantamal ahead of panchayat polls

Officials said that the Maoists appeared at the spot at midnight setting on fire a bulldozer and a tractor even as posters were put up calling for the closure of indigenous liquor stores in the villages, closing down CRPF camps and the putting an end to arrest of people collecting money in the name of the Maoists.

Kandhamal (Odisha): Ahead of the upcoming panchayat pols in Odisha, Maoists set on fire a bulldozer and a tractor at a highway construction site in Kiamunda under Phiringia police limits of Kantamal district on Monday night, officials said on Tuesday.

The panchayat polls will be held in five phases between February 16 and 24. The counting of votes will be held on February 26, 27, and 28. Officials said that the Maoists appeared at the spot at midnight setting on fire a bulldozer and a tractor even as posters were put up calling for the closure of indigenous liquor stores in the villages, closing down CRPF camps and putting an end to the arrest of people collecting money in the name of the Maoists.

The construction of the state highway from Mashripada to Kantamal is underway in the area. The latest election boycott call has created panic among the locals of Kandhamal.