Midnapore, Dec. 13: Police officers today visited Lalgarh for the first time after tribals dug up roads and cut the area off from the rest of West Midnapore for over a month.

The tribals, under the banner of the People’s Committee against Police Atrocities, had demanded that the superintendent of police apologise for his force’s alleged atrocities, holding his ears before villagers at Dalilpur in Lalgarh.

But this morning, the committee showed restraint when deputy superintendent of police Arnab Ghosh, posted in Midnapore town, and the sub-divisional officer of Jhargram, Tanmoy Chakraborty, went to two villages in Lalgarh, about 180km from Calcutta.

The team went to Madhabpur first and then to Baropelia, accompanied by committee leaders Chhatradhar Mahato and Lalmohan Tudu.

In Baropelia, the villagers told SDO Chakraborty that they needed one more tube well. Residents of Madhabpur told Chakraborty that a half-kilometre stretch of road between the two villages was not metalled and could not be used during the rains. They also want a bridge over a canal.

“In the monsoon months, we find it difficult to go to Baropelia and Lalgarh. We asked the SDO for a metalled road so it can be used even when it rains,” said Phulmoni Mandi, a housewife.

Chakraborty said a tube well could be installed and a bridge and a road built quickly. “But matters like bringing electricity to the villages must be done through the district administration.”

Chhatradhar said the administration should have informed the tribal leadership in advance about the police officers’ visit. “We should have been told a day in advance. Then we could have made arrangements for more villagers to talk to them.”

Tudu, the president of the committee, said if the administration and the police responded to the tribals’ demands, there would be no need to agitate. “But we will decide about a total withdrawal of our agitation only after watching the progress in development work,” he said.

The tribals had alleged that the police had detained and assaulted villagers during raids in Lalgarh following a blast by Maoists on November 2.

The committee, which spearheaded the agitation, has withdrawn its demand for the grovelling apology by the police superintendent but said he must visit Dalilpur. Earlier this month, in another climbdown, it had said the SP’s visit was not necessary but senior police and district officials must come to Lalgarh.

On December 7, it had suspended the agitation after a meeting with the officials at Lalgarh police station.