By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday condemned the Maoist attack on a patrol of Andhra Pradesh’s elite anti-Maoist force in the state’s Malkangiri district.
“It was a cowardly act and I deeply condemn this,” Patnaik said a day after the Maoists carried out the attack.
The chief minister discussed the situation with top state home and police department officials at the state secretariat.
“The government will bear all the medical expenses of the people who have sustained injuries,” he said.
“If anybody will be found dead, his kin would be given an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh (Rs.200,000) each,” the chief minister told the media after the meeting.
At least 10 Greyhound personnel were injured and as many as 35 were missing after the Maoists ambushed the police patrol which was crossing a reservoir to return to Andhra Pradesh after taking part in joint operations with the police force of Orissa.
Search is on for the missing policemen as senior police officials said they have not yet recovered any dead body from the reservoir.