Kanker (Chhattisgarh): Naxalites set ablaze at least a dozen vehicles and machines being used for road construction in a remote village in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, police said on Monday. Nobody was injured in the incident which occurred on Sunday night between Alparas and Gundul villages under the Koyalibeda police station limits where road construction is going on under Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), said Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P.
As per preliminary information, a group of unidentified Naxalites stormed the construction site, located around 250 km from the state capital Raipur, and threatened the workers to stop the work, he said. The Naxalites then set ablaze eight tractors, two JCB machines (earth movers) and two bulldozers, the IGP added.
A police team was sent to the spot this morning, he said, adding that security personnel have launched a search operation in the area. Police claimed that the road contractor did not inform them about the construction work otherwise security would have been provided.
Naxalites have frequently tried to disrupt road construction works in the Bastar division, which consists of seven districts, by launching attacks on security forces and damaging the roads, vehicles, and machines used in the work, police said. Last month, Naxalites had torched three machines engaged in road construction work in Partapur area of Kanker.
Earlier, on Friday there was an exchange of fire between security forces of Sonpur, Kurusnar and Basingh Police station of Narayanpur district and Naxalites during a search operation in a jungle near village Orchapara. No injury to security forces has been reported. The Naxalites managed to flee during the encounter. The search operation started after Naxalites on Thursday night set solar panels on fire at an under-construction mobile tower near Murhadpur village. (With Agency inputs)
