Orissa breathes a sigh of relief as PGA week passes off peacefully

By Akshaya Kumar Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, Dec. 12: Orissa government breathed a sigh of relief as this year's People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PGA) week passed off peacefully in the state.
No civilian or any security personnel were targeted by the Maoists during the week that ended on Sunday.
Although hundreds of Naxalites, as intelligence sources said, had congregated on the Andhra-Orissa and Orissa-Chhatisgarh borders respectively in Gajapati and Malkangiri districts, they did not plan out any offensive on security establishments.
However, to meet any possible onslaughts by the ultras, - heavy security fortifications were made in vulnerable jails and police stations.
From the beginning of the PGA week on December 2, the rebels were holed up in small groups in the dense forests of Gajapati and Malkangiri districts and held numerous meetings on their future plans and challenges posed by Andhra Pradesh and Orissa police, reliable sources said.
Every evening, the ultras ventured into the tribal pockets and reportedly distributed leaflets and pamphlets inviting them to join their outfit to "fight against corruption" and "oppression" by the "rulers."
Village meetings and recruitment camps were also held in tribal pockets of Javai, Peparametal, Gompagunda, Kalimela, Motu, Padia, Maliguda and Chitrakonda, the sources added.
Orissa police had made elaborate security arrangements in the region and special armed forces and a bomb disposal squad were sent to sensitive places to avert any untoward incident.
Police said for the first time no violence was reported during the PGA week from any parts of the state.
It may be mentioned here that the Maoists caused much trouble in other neighbouring states during the week. In Jharkhand, they raided a Kharagpur-bound local train and looted guns from the Railway Protection Force whereas in other states they launched offensives on police personnel.