Kalta Mines come to halt due to Maoist threat

BHUBANESWAR: All activities at the Steel Authority of India’s Kalta iron ore mines in Sundergarh district came to a grinding halt on Wednesday after the Maoists threatened retaliatory actions in protest against arrest of six of their comrades by the local police on Tuesday.

Around 2500 workers, including engineers, did not turn up for their duty fearing attack by the rebels.

On Tuesday morning, the police had arrested six ultras and seized two unexploded landmines from the area. In the evening, the Naxal retaliated by launching a raid on the Kalta mines. They asked the workers to leave the place immediately.

In yet another incident on Wednesday, the Maoists blew up a road culvert close to the railway tracks at Bisra in the Sundergarh district, briefly disrupting train services on the Mumbai-Howrah route.

“The rebels blew up a road culvert near Bisra, briefly disrupting the train services on Mumbai-Howrah route. After a thorough inspection, train services resumed. A manhunt has been launched to nab the rebels,” Rourkela superintendent of police Diptesh Patnaik said.

He added that no was injured in the incident.