Maoist blockade over SEZs paralyses Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar

Maoists blew up a goods train and paralysed transport at the start of a two-day economic blockade in three states -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar -- against the governments SEZ policy.

Latehar/Ranchi/Bastar, June 26 : Maoists blew up a goods train and paralysed transport at the start of a two-day economic blockade in three states -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar -- against the government's SEZ policy.

Dozens of trains were held up as rebels blew up a stretch of railway track in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada District to stop transportation of iron ore to Andhra Pradesh.

Two villagers were also hacked to death by rebels, police said.

According to witnesses, extra police were deployed in Andhra Pradesh and armed guards protected several SEZ locations, including the port city of Vishakhapatnam and Nellore.

Narayanpur, Bijapur, Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada are the worst effected districts due to the Maoist blockade in Chhattisgarh.

Security arrangements have been intensified at railway stations, highways, iron ore rich regions, government installations and other sensitive places. A large number of security personnel have been deployed to check any untoward incident.

Train services on various sections of the East Central Railway were suspended as a precautionary measure.

In Jharkhand, the rebels blew up a goods train engine and also set ablaze another rail engine.

Some reports said that the rebels have kidnapped two people - the engine driver and the guard - after blowing up the tracks at Latehar in Jharkhand.

Around 20 trains travelling through the State have been cancelled and many others have been diverted to other destinations.

Bus services were disrupted and many shops were closed. Rebels also set ablaze five trucks transporting minerals.

Railway officials said three trains plying through Jharkhand have been cancelled.

Mahendra Yadav, Divisional Railway Manager of Ranchi Division, said: "Trains that go through Latehar, Barwadi sides have been stopped in view of the situation created by economic blockade. Three trains have been scrapped".

In Bihar, two explosions were reported from near railway tracks early today,

Maoists operate in 13 of 29 states along the "red corridor", referring to a stretch from the Indo-Nepal border to the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

According to Home Ministry, 76 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are 'badly affected by Maoist violence'.

Maoists say they are fighting on behalf of the rural poor and landless and want to build a communist state.

ANI