Malkangiri: With the completion of the much-awaited Gurupriya bridge on Jaibai river, a permanent camp of the Border Security Force (BSF) is being set up to keep a strict vigil on Maoist movement in the cut-off area of Odisha’s Malkangiri district.
The construction of the permanent BSF camp is underway at Jantapai, where the Odisha cadre IAS officer and the then Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna, was abducted by the Red rebels on February 16, 2011.
The camp is about 8 km from Gurupriya bridge.
Prior to the setting up of the permanent BSF camp, there were two camps of the Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) and one Special Operation Group (SOG) at Kunturupadar and Badapada in the cut-off area.
“We are going to set up a BSF camp at Jantapai. Construction of the camp has already started amid tight security. We had taken a decision to set up the BSF camp at this place, a den of the Maoists who were threatening and killing innocent tribals,” Malkangiri SP Jagmohan Meena told mediapersons here.
More than 30,000 people of 151 villages stay in this waterlogged area of Malkangiri district with no road connectivity. As the police and the central forces had difficulties in accessing area, the forest area turned into a safe haven for Maoists. However, with the frequent visit of the chief secretary and Director General of Police (DGP), a permanent BSF camp is finally going to be set up in this area, which is being much appreciated by the people of the district.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is expected to inaugurate the bridge next month.
