Orissa violence toll rises to 14, 24 houses torched

Bhubaneswar, Aug 30 (PTI) Protesters torched 24 house in
Kandhamal on Saturday as the death toll in the week-long
communal violence mounted to 14 with the recovery of two more
bodies in the Orissa district.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was headed for the
curfew-bound district to review the situation in the affected
areas and the Ashram at Jalespeta where Viswa Hindu Parishad
leader Laxamanada Saraswati was gunned down along with three
others on August 23 leading to the violence.

Official sources said Patnaik had decided to proceed to
Kandhamal by road after inclement weather forced his chopper
to return.

Two highly decomposed bodies were recovered from Raikia
area near Petapanga village of the district taking the death
toll to 14, Suresh Mohapatra, a senior officer monitoring the
situation in the district said.

Police said about 24 houses were torched at Katringia,
Kanibali, Baghdungri and some other villages under Gochapada
panchayat area in the early hours on Saturday. There were,
however, no reports of loss of life in the incident.

Police patrolling was intensified and security
personnel were sent to remote areas of the tribal district.

With the situation improving in urban areas, curfew was
relaxed for 10 hours in most of them barring the sensitive
Phulbani town, Baliguda, Tumudibandha, Barkhama, Raikia,
G.Udaygiri, Daringbadi and Tikabali.

About 5000 people fearing violence are still hiding in
the jungles, though over 10,000 others had returned and were
accommodated in seven relief camps set up at G. Udayagiri,
Raikia, K.Nuagaon, Baliguda, Phiringia, Tikabali and Chakpada,
the police said.

So far 137 people have been arrested in the district and
39 cases registered in connection with the violence, a senior
police officer said.

Tight security arrangements have been made near the
relief camps and free kitchens opened for the people seeking
shelter, official sources said.

Authorities are taking steps to open more such camps
and five truck-loads of relief materials including utensils,
baby food and clothes have reached the district for
distribution among the riot-affected, the sources said, adding
more relief was expected soon.

In a bid to further strengthen security, ten additional
companies of para-military force had been sought, revenue
divisional commissioner, southern division, Satyabrata Sahu
said.

Peace committees comprising representatives of
different communities, volunteers and officials were formed at
various places including Phulbani, Daringbadi, G. Udaygiri,
Baliguda, Phiringia, Tumudibandh and Tikabali as part of the
effort by the administration to restore normalcy.