Bhubaneswar, April 14: The Koraput district administration is taking a fresh look at issues affecting tribal people of the district following chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to the area yesterday.

Sources said this had become imperative as none of the assurances given by the chief minister on March 28 last year in the wake of an anti-landlord campaign by Maoist-backed Chasi Muliya Adivasi Sangh (CMAS) had been fulfilled.

“Resentment among the tribals is running high because of the promises have not been fulfilled. The discontent among the tribals is primarily responsible for the abduction of ruling party MLA Jhina Hikaka. The government should release all the tribals languishing in different jails immediately,” said a tribal leader of Koraput district.

In the wake of an aggressive campaign by the CMAS on tribal issues, the chief minister on March 28 last year had told the Odisha Assembly that the sale of liquor would be banned in the district and steps would also be taken to fill up the vacant revenue department posts in the area. He had also promised to take steps for recovering encroached land from the possession of non-tribals for distribution among tribals.

The chief minister had acknowledged that the government had received the demands of the CMAS, which included ensuring tribal rights on water, land and forest and banning the sale of liquor. There was also a demand for withdrawal of central paramilitary forces from the area and release of all activists of the tribal body languishing in jail.

However, sources said that neither these demands had been met nor had the assurances of the chief minister been fulfilled. The Koraput district administration has also failed to take up confidence building measures among the tribals. During his review meeting in Koraput yesterday, Naveen is reported to have expressed his displeasure over this.

Sources said while the women’s wing of the CMAS had destroyed a number of liquor shops in the district during the last one year, instead of helping and encouraging them the administration has sought to take coercive measures against them. “All this is bound to have a fallout which is evident from the abduction of the MLA,” said a source.

The kidnapping of Hikaka has led to security concerns among other legislators who are reported to have sought government protection. Home department sources said the Odisha government had already provided security to 81 MLAs, including the Speaker, deputy speaker, all the ministers and the leader of the Opposition in keeping with the guidelines laid down by the State-Level Security Committee (SLSC).

Koraput MLA Raghuram Podal said: “It is hard for a public representative to work in the Maoist belt for it is not always possible to keep a posse of security men with you.”