BHUBANESWAR: Functioning of the State Government has been greatly affected for last one month because of the hostage crises which started with the kidnapping of two Italian nationals from Kandhamal. The two Italian nationals __ Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo __ were kidnapped on March 17 by a group led by Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, secretary of the Odisha State Organising Committee of the CPI (Maoist). A week later on March 23, BJD legislator from Laxmipur Jhina Hikaka was kidnapped by a rival Maoist group __ Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC). Though the Left-wing extremists (LWEs) have released the Italian nationals since, the crisis relating to the BJD legislator drags on much to the discomfiture of the State Government. Hikaka’s kidnapping has not only brought to a standstill all counter-Maoist operations of police and security forces but also severely affected implementation of development schemes in the affected areas, Congress MP Pradip Majhi told this paper. Majhi represents Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency adjacent to Koraput Lok Sabha seat. Several areas in his constituency bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are Maoist-affected. By the Government’s own reckoning, 20 of the 30 districts of the State are Maoist affected which are predominantly tribal. As a fear psychosis is gripping the Maoist- affected areas, functioning of tahasil and block offices, and schools have come to a grinding halt. As the entire focus of the administration is on the hostage crisis, the State Government has failed to take action in key sectors needing attention. The census report has brought to the fore deficiencies in drinking water supply and connectivity __ road and electricity __ in several parts of the State. As a result, governance has suffered in key sectors, Congress Chief Whip Prasad Harichandan told TNIE. Harichandan said April and May are two working months in which development works are expedited after passing of the Budget in the Assembly in March. But there seems to be no movement, he said and added all work has come to a stop. The situation is likely to worsen in the coming days as there seems to be no solution in sight to the hostage crisis. In a fresh audio tape, the Maoists have said they would declare the verdict of the praja court on the MLA by April 25. The rebels are observing a two-day bandh since Friday opposing Operation Green Hunt and criticising the State Government’s lack of initiative to set free the abducted MLA. Besides, they will observe a ‘protest week’ from April 24 against Operation Green Hunt.
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