Odisha violence: Internet ban extended as Malkangiri damage hits ₹3.34 cr

Malkangiri Collector said, violence that occurred in village, centred around a murder, and the subsequent efforts by the administration and police to restore peace and normalcy, have been maintained

Malkangiri Collector Somesh Kumar Upadhyay on Saturday said that peace and normalcy have been maintained in the village where violence broke out following a murder, though, as a precaution, the internet ban has been extended and will remain in effect until Monday noon.

Speaking to reporters, Upadhyay said, "The violence that occurred in the village, centred around a murder, and the subsequent efforts by the administration and police to restore peace and normalcy, have been maintained for several days now."

He stated that the administration assessed the losses caused during the violence and, after assessing that the total damages were nearly 3.34 crore, they submitted the report to the government.

"An assessment of the damage in the village, amounting to approximately Rs 3.34 crore, has been submitted to the government. Additionally, an assessment of Rs 40 lakh has been submitted for the structural damage," he said.

Upadhyay added that immediate relief was provided to the victim's family. "Furthermore, the son of the deceased was immediately given Rs 30 thousand from the CMRF. An additional Rs 4 lakh has been recommended from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," he said.

The Collector said relief and restoration work is continuing in the affected village, saying, "Relief work is underway in the village. Electricity connections to 106 houses that were damaged have been restored. The damaged water supply pipes have also been repaired."

On restrictions, Upadhyay said prohibitory orders have been eased. "BNSS Section 163 has been lifted from the village," he said, adding that some measures are still in place as a precaution.

"However, as a precaution, the internet ban has been extended for thirty-six hours, which will remain in effect until Monday at 12 PM," he added.

On Thursday, Odisha Law and Water Resources Minister Suresh Pujari said the situation in the area is now "completely normal".

"For a long time, the situation was normal except for this particular incident. Violence in Malkangiri was a day-to-day phenomenon in the past. But the recent clash was very unfortunate. Now there's total normalcy in that area. The dispute between the tribals and non-tribals, which usually erupted as ethnic violence in the past. We are examining that aspect also," he told reporters.

Earlier, the Odisha government extended the ban on access to social media platforms, including WhatsApp, Facebook and X, in Malkangiri district for another 18 hours until 12 pm on December 10.

According to officials, clashes erupted soon after the body was found, leading to large-scale damage in the district. The district administration said 163 houses were damaged during the violence.

Security forces have been deployed in the affected areas to maintain order. The state government said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Manjhi approved Rs 4 lakh ex-gratia for the victim's family. The woman's son has already received Rs 30,000.

The last rites were performed after the post-mortem earlier on Monday.

According to a Home Department notification, "anti-social elements" were spreading "false, provocative and inflammatory messages" on WhatsApp, Facebook and X, leading to a threat to public order.

According to officials, clashes erupted soon after the body was found, leading to large-scale damage in the district. The district administration said 163 houses were damaged during the violence. Security forces were deployed in the affected areas to maintain order.

The Malkangiri Collector had earlier also told reporters that the situation had improved following talks between the two communities.