Bhubaneswar, Oct. 21: In a late night strike on Sunday, Maoists torched machinery and vehicles belonging to a construction company at Miangpadar in Kalahandi district, around 500 km from here.

This is the first major incident of rebel violence in the western Odisha district.

Sources said a group of 40 Maoists, including two women cadre, stormed the camp office of the company at Miangpadar, in Sadar police limits, when the workers were fast asleep. The rebels asked the workers to leave before setting on fire some heavy machines, a tractor and two motorcycles parked on the office premises.

The company is executing a road project in the area.

Sources said the rebels raised slogans against the company management and left behind pamphlets alleging that the workers engaged in the project were being exploited.

Kalahandi superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi said the incident could well be the fallout of a labour issue, but the involvement of Maoists could not be ruled out.

For a while now, rebels have been consistently trying to make inroads into western Odisha districts. While they have already set up strong bases in Nuapada and Balangir, Kalahandi is new territory for them. Their penetration into the district is a warning signal for the police as apart from being rich in minerals it also houses a major alumina refinery.

Besides, police officials are also worried about reports that Maoists have been trying to cut a corridor through western Odisha connecting Chhattisgarh.

“They have been moving in a systematic manner. First they turned the Sunabeda sanctuary in Nuapada district into their stronghold and then gradually gained a foothold in neighbouring Balangir. Now it is clear that they are targeting Kalahandi,” said a senior police officer.

Sources said Sunabeda sanctuary, that borders Chhattisgarh, was still being used by the rebels as a major base to coordinate their activities in western Odisha districts.

“The sanctuary serves as a major hide-out and training camp for the rebels. They also organise strategy sessions there with top Maoist leaders from Chhattisgarh and even leaders from Andhra Pradesh are invited to these meetings,” said an officer.

While police have intensified combing in the vulnerable areas of Kalahandi following last night’s incident, sources said security forces had been asked to step up their drive against the rebels in all the major districts of western Odisha where Maoist have a presence.

“We are stepping up the operation with the twin objective of preventing rebels from entering new areas and driving them out of the area where they have already entrenched themselves,” said an officer.