Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Police recovered 50 kg of landmine in Gajapathy, a Maoist affected district in Odisha, under a drain or channel on Tuesday. This recovery comes just two days before the first phase of polling of the Lok Sabha election 2019 in the state. Superintendent of Police Mr. Sarah Sharma of Gajapati district said the landmine was recovered from under a bridge near Paniganda village which falls under the Adaba police station area. Mr. Sharma said the Security personnel spotted the landmine planted under a bridge. A long wire guided the personnel to the bridge. The explosive has likely been planted by the Maoists to disrupt election process. The bomb has been defused. Odisha’s Director General of Police (in-charge) Mr. BK Sharma has issued an advisory to all the Superintendents of Police of the Maoist-affected districts to remain on high alert. The Maoist-affected districts are Gajapati, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur. The Election Commission Officials have said that out of the 8,872 polling booths in the first phase of polls, 2,375 have been deemed critical. The Border Security Force (BSF) personal on Wednesday made an appeal to the voters in the Maoist-affected districts to take part in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls. BSF Inspector General Mr. AK Singh said, area domination exercises are regularly being carried out in the Maoist affected areas in close coordination with state police and local administration. We have been instrumental in containing the Maoist menace to a large extent. A total number of nine battalions of the Border Security Force have been deployed in the affected-districts where polls are being held. ]]>
