A day after the Centre banned the People`s War Group under Prevention Of Terrorism Ordinance (POTO), the naxalite outfit on Thursday triggered two land mine blasts in Chhattisgarh, partially damaging a government office, a top police official said. In a bid to blow up the Konta block office in Dantewada district, the PWG set off a landmine in its premises and damaged the walls of the building, director general of police R L S Yadav said in Raipur. No one was injured in the incident. The banned naxalite outfit triggered another landmine blast in the Bheji market yard in Datewada district, Yadav said. No casualty had been reported.
The naxalites also damaged the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in interior jhagargunda village of the same district, he said.
Meanwhile, a Bastar report said that the PWG`s bandh call protesting against the POTO evoked partial response in the interior parts of the region.
The outfit is active in Raipur and Bastar division of the state bordering Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra, where as Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), another naxalite outfit banned by the Centre on Wednesday, is active in Bilaspur division bordering Jharkhand. Naxalites are active in six of the 16 districts of Chhattisgarh. Bureau Report