Maoists bandh call: Security beefed up in naxal-hit areas in

: Security has been beefed up in naxal affected areas in the state's Bhadradri Kothagudem district bordering Chhattisgarh, in the wake of a bandh call by CPI (Maoist) on January 31 against the Centre's "Operation Samadhan", police said Monday.

Combing operations in view of the ongoing Gram Panchayat (GP) elections in the state, the police added.

CPI (Maoist) gave a "Bharat Bandh" call on January 31 against the centre's "Operation Samadhan"--anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) strategy and its strategies.

In view of this security measures have been taken to avoid any untoward incidents, police said adding combing operations are conducted on a regular basis and with the panchayat elections taking place in the state additional measures have been taken.

Posters and pamphlets reportedly put up by the Maoists surfaced at some places in the district calling their affiliated organisations and sympathisers to take out rallies against 'Samadhan' initiative and to observe a week-long campaign from January 25 and bandh on January 31.

Asked about the bandh call and maoist posters and pamphlets, Bhadradri-Kothagudem District Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt said the maoists were using villagers in (maoist) affected areas after threatening them, they are sending the villagers to normal areas and asking them to drop pamphlets.

"They (Maoists) will also try to do some kind of offence and after knowing this and in view of GP elections we have taken all preventive steps. In our border areas (with Chhattisgarh) alert has been sounded," the senior police official told PTI over phone.

"Our forces are there and we are providing protection and ensuring that they (rebels) should not come and disturb the ongoing works and also poll process," he added.

He said police had got information that some villagers from Chhattisgarh were sent in border areas to throw posters.

"Similarly, some militia members and sympathisers in our area also did it and they have been identified and action will be taken against them," the SP added.

The first phase of gram panchayat elections in border areas of Kothagudemwith Chhattisgarh were incident-free and all precautions have been taken for next phase of polls also, he said.

"We have been able to neutralise their efforts to come and do offences in our areas. Lot of works (irrigation projects and road works) are going on and our parties are providing security," he added.