Union home secretary G.K. Pillai (right) and his Orissa counterpart Aditya Padhi before a meeting in Bhubaneswar on Friday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Nov. 20: Two members of a Maoist-backed organisation were killed during a raid on a police station in Koraput district’s Narayanpatna today even as Union home secretary G.K. Pillai said more men in khaki would soon be deployed in the Naxalite-hit state.

Additional director-general of police Prakash Mishra said that a 300-strong mob — led by Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha leader Nachika Linga — armed with traditional tribal weapons attacked the police station and tried to snatch away arms from policemen on duty around 2.30pm. The policemen were compelled to open fire to disperse the mob, which refused to end the violent siege after several rounds of blank firing, said Mishra.

“The situation is still tense,” home secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said.

The mob tried to open the grille gate of the police station that was locked from inside. Later, they used a stone to break open the lock, said a police officer. Then they snatched away a gun from a sentry and tried to fire at him, he added.

However, Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha functionary Gananath Patra denied the allegation. “It’s a false charge to defend police firing.” He said a delegation went to the police station to protest atrocities by a unit of the India Reserve Battalion in the name of combing operation in the area. Instead of listening to their plea, the police suddenly opened fire on the peaceful demonstration without any provocation, Patra said.

While one of the deceased has been identified as Kedruka Singhana, the identity of the other is yet to be ascertained.

Section 144 has been clamped in Narayanapatna, Bandhugaon and Laxmipur area. High alert has been sounded at Narayanpatna and Bandhugaon blocks.

Observing that Orissa police was under-staffed, Pillai — on a visit to the state — assured the government that additional central paramilitary forces to take on Naxalites would be deployed.

Orissa has a ratio of 120 police personnel per 1 lakh population as against the norm of 220. “Whatever sanctioned posts are there, there is a substantial number of vacancies,” said Pillai, who reviewed the state’s preparedness to counter the Maoists.

“Though of late there has been a significant improvement in police recruitment, they have shortcomings in training and infrastructure,” he noted, adding that the Centre had recommended the 13th Finance Commission to provide funds to Orissa for setting up police training institutes in the state. “Whatever assistance is required, we will try to provide to Orissa the best of our ability,” Pillai said.

State chief secretary T.K. Mishra said the state had asked for long-term deployment of additional eight to nine battalions of central paramilitary forces at least for two years.

Maoist blast at mine

Maoists triggered a blast at SAIL-run Meghatpur iron ore mines in Barabil early this morning.

The extremists, after triggering the blast, also planted a bomb in Kiriburu mines, also belonging to SAIL, about 15km from Meghatpur. However, CRPF personnel managed to defuse the bomb. No one was injured in the incidents.