TNI Bureau: As many as 14 village Chowkidars in undivided Koraput district have tendered their resignation in the wake of Maoist threat. The reason behind such resignation is believed to be the recent killing of two Chowkidars in Boipariguda Block by the leftist extremists.

The victims were identified as Bhagaban Nayak of Girliput and Gaura Chandra Dalei of Dashmantpur. After killing these two police personals, the Maoists also left a poster
threatening to all the Chowkidars to tender their resignations with immediate effect or else they would face the same fate.

It is alleged that since the martyrs are IVth grade employees, neither the Police
Department nor the Home Department took the recent killing seriously. While other policemen are being given the martyrs’ status and adequate compensation, these village Chowkidars are completely ignored by the government, politicians as well as the local administration.

In this juncture, the Chowkidar Association of Koraput District held a meeting at Nishanimunda of Kaorput and unanimously demanded a compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a job to the family members of their deceased colleagues.

There are 780 Chowkidars in Koraput district. Many of them are posted in the remote and hill area of the region. If they resign by Maoist threat, the crime of this area will not be reported in Police Head quarter, and crime rate will definitely increase in Maoist affected areas. Moreover, it will be considered as the failure of the Government to control the Maoist uprising in the state.