Have the Maoists descended on the erstwhile Adilabad district to recruit cadres in a big way? The extent and manner in which the police of Kumram Bheem Asifabad and Mancherial districts are making preparations to counter the reported move of the naxalites indicates only this.
Combing operations apart, the police has activated the network of former extremists, who have been designated as special police officers (SPO) in police stations which look after the inter-State riverine border shared with Maharashtra. Police has also put out a word asking the commoners to inform them of movement of people who raise a suspicion.
The threat perception is so high that the police has issued a warning to all police officers not to respond to calls on dial 100 emergency service after dusk or move singly. Apparently, such calls could be traps for the security forces.
According to sources, six or seven teams of Maoists, number in each team unspecified, are said to have crossed the Pranahita near Motlaguda-Rampur in Dahegaon mandal and Jilleda and Kannergaon in Penchikalpet mandal of KB Asifabad and Motlaguda, Sumputam, Makkidigudem and Kallempally in Vemanpalli of Mancherial district. They are said to be moving in the hinterland on a recruting spree.
The naxalites are also reported to have entered the thick forest, most of which is now either the core or buffer area of Kawal Tiger Reserve. Special police forces are combing forest in Lingapur mandal and in Jannaram-Kadem-Khanapur stretch, an old route that the extremists take to arrive till the interiors of Sirikonda mandal, earlier their stronghold.
Experts in Maoist affairs, however, point out that the extremists do not prefer moving in the forests in these areas in summer months. “The dry tree cover will not be helpful as camouflage,” the expert observed.
