Keonjhar: Suspected Maoists have launched a poster campaign at various places of Berilinguhan gram panchayat in Daitary police limits of the district, warning the construction agencies to stop the government's civil projects.

The mineral-rich hinterlands of the district had remained free from the Maoists' violence for a considerable period of time. The latest threat by the suspected rebels has led the law-enforcing agencies to step up security across the district, police said.

The Maoists are claimed to have launched the campaign. We have seized the posters, said the police.

The posters, written in Odia, warned the local contractors to stop work. They have accused the government agencies of being insensitive towards the plight of tribal people and the poor. The posters threaten to prosecute those who will not pay heed to the diktat.

A police official said: "We are examining whether the rebels have put up the posters." The Maoists have retreated from Keonjhar's forest areas since the past 18 months following increased vigil and combing operations at regular intervals. Since then, there has been no report of Left-wing extremism in the district.

Six districts - Ganjam, Gajapati, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Dhenkanal and Jajpur - were recently removed from the list of 19 Maoist-affected districts in the state. In the past few years no Naxalite violence was reported from these districts, said police officials.

"On occasions, we have received reports from the ground level regarding the Maoist movement. However, prompt combing operation has led them to flee their hideouts," he said.