Maoist strike hits bus services

BHUBANESWAR - Public bus services were hit in two Orissa districts following a six-day strike called by Maoists beginning Saturday to protest against a security crackdown, police said.

The affected districts were Koraput and Malkangiri, where only private buses plied, said a police officer, Awinash Kumar.

Sukant Sethi, the district transport manager of Koraput, said: “We have stopped plying buses in these districts as Maoists often target government buses during strike.”

Maoist guerrillas felled trees and dug up roads in Govindpali and Narayanpatna areas in Koraput, disrupting traffic, District Superintendent of Police Anup Sahu told IANS.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist wants an end to a sweeping offensive against it launched in several states including Orissa.