Small traders flee from Jharkhands Maoist heartland

Several small businessmen and traders have reportedly fled from Jharkhands Maoist heartland, fearing for their lives.

Pirtand (Jharkhand), Sept. 6 : Several small businessmen and traders have reportedly fled from Jharkhand's Maoist heartland, fearing for their lives.

Concrete houses in Khukhra village in Giridih district have been locked.

According to the villagers, the Maoists used to extort money from these people and had accused some of them of being police informers. They ordered them to leave the place or be eliminated.

The police say that the shortage of personnel is posing problems in dealing with the Maoists.

"The movement to take on naxal is going on at the state level. They manage to survive and carry their operation because they know there is a shortage of security personnel," claimed Arun Kumar Singh, Superintendent of Police, Giridih.

Jharkhand is one of the 13 Indian states hit by the Maoist insurgency that began more than three decades ago.

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'.

ANI