Hostages are safe: Orissa jt. statement

The abducted collector and a junior engineer in Orissa are safe, said a joint statement issued by the state government and Maoist chosen mediators who arrived here to start talks with the rebels.

“Hostages are safe,” said the statement by Orissa Home Secretary and the mediators, assuring that the abducted officials will be safe till a final decision.

According to the statement, the rebels have asked the state government to set a deadline of its own for solving the issue.

The Maoists have been demanding withdrawal of Central forces and release of their jailed leaders.

Earlier, the Orissa government indicated to concede some of the demands of the Maoists to secure the release of Malkangiri collector R V Krishna and the junior engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhiabducted by them.

Media reports suggested that the government might give in to the demands under pressure.

Prof. Hargopal and Professor Someswar Rao, two mediators chosen by the Maoists, reached here Sunday, a day late, to begin negotiations between the rebels and the governemnt.

The Orissa government will be sending the two mediators to negotiate the release of R. V. Krishna and junior engineer Pavitra Majhi with the Maoists, said Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik earlier.

“Prof Someswar Rao and Prof Hargopal (both from Andhra Pradesh) will reach Bubaneshwar today … then we will start discussions on the demands made by the Maoists,” Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a statement in the state assembly on Saturday.

The mediators were handpicked by the Maoists who demanded release of their jailed leaders Ganti Prasad and Sriramulu Srinivas.

Patnaik said the government has requested the Maoists not to harm the abducted officials and has also stopped anti-Naxal combing operations across Orissa.

Meanwhile, Patnaik held a high-level meeting with Chief Secretary B K Patnaik, Home Secretary U N Behera and others.

“As per the information available with us, the two abducted persons are safe and in good health in the captivity of the Maoists,” B K Patnaik told reporters after the meeting.

The Maoists took this decision to extend deadline for the government after responding to the calls of the government for negotiations.

Media reports said that it was a senior member of Andhra-Orissa Border Zonal Committee (AOBZC) of Maoists who told a section of the media in the state capital on Friday about their plans of extending the deadline.

The Maoists abducted Krishna along with Majhi while he was returning home at Gumma block with an ultimatum for withdrawal of central para-military forces in Orissa.

This was first such kidnapping of an IAS official in Orissa.

The 30-year-old government officer along with a junior official went to Chitrakonda area, a Maoist bastion, some 90 kms from Kalkangiri headquarters, for some work related to local development programmes.

The Maoists, however, let go free another junior engineer, with a hand-written note giving an ultimatum of 48 hours initially to fulfil them demands for the release of the Collector.