Rise in Maoist activity feared

Rajahmundry: If the Centre proceeds with bifurcation of the state, the Maoists are likely to strengthen their cadre and exploit the lack of co-ordination among police personnel from district to district and from state to state especially in the border areas along East Godavari which has connectivity to Visakhapatnam and Khammam districts as also to Chattisgarh and Odisha in order to perpetrate violence.

Giving credence to the apprehensions of Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy that law and order problem will increase in case the state is bifurcated, sources maintain that lack of co-ordination between the police personnel in the two districts will have adverse affect on the situation.

For instance, if the police get information of Maoist activity at Palaka Jeedi, on the border of both EG and Visakhapatnam districts, the EG police may not rush to the spot 15 km away from Y. Ramavaram police station in EG, while police from Visakhapatnam, nearly 350 km away will have to alert the local police to act, by which time the Maoists would slip into forests.

The new government in Telangana state will have to initiate stringent measures to contain the Maoist menace and in case it fails to do so the Maoists will find safe haven in Agency areas of Visakhapatnam and carry out their activities from there giving rise to fresh trouble for the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.

Cultivation of ganja and its illegal transportation is rampant along the border of Visakhapatnam district. The East Godavari police is empowered to nab the culprits only when they enter their limits.

Though cultivation takes place close to EG border, the local police remain mute spectators as it involves territorial jurisdiction to initiate action in the absence of any joint operation by the police from both the districts.

Police sources say that strengthening road accessibility to remote villages, increased police presence, educating tribal youth and implementing welfare schemes might help tackle the Maoists menace.