Maoist strike hits Chhattisgarh

Raipur, May 16 (IANS) A shutdown called by Maoists crippled life in parts of Chhattisgarh Wednesday, with the rebels resorting to firing and putting up road blocks besides killing a trader.

Most of the disturbances were reported from Bastar and Rajnandgaon districts, which form the Maoist strongholds and border Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Maharashtra.

According to police sources, a trader was killed at Pakhanjur. No further details were available.

To enforce the shutdown, the Maoists began blocking roads at Konta, Gorgunda, Polampalli and Chintur by digging and felling trees at half a dozen places on the road leading to Boddogumma in Andhra Pradesh.

As a result, buses plying locally as well as on long routes from Jagdalpur to Hyderabad did not ply.

Railway services were too affected.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist wants the army pulled out of Bastar, operations against it halted and tribals and other activists arrested for suspected Maoist links to be released.