AP: Ministers told to skip Maoist areas

HYDERABAD:  In the wake of recent spate of abductions in Odisha and Chhattisgarh, the Andhra Pradesh police has advised public representatives including ministers, MLAs and MPs to avoid visiting Maoist-affected areas in the state.If they have to visit they have been asked to inform the local police well in advance. Even senior bureaucrats have also been advised accordingly.Top police sources told Express that though it was not a fresh advisory, the public representatives have been told informally to avoid visiting the areas. ''If the visit is a must, they have been asked to inform the local police in advance so that proper arrangements are made,'' a police official said.All public representatives, particularly those who intend to tour Srikakulam, interior areas of Visakhapatnam, Khammam, Karimnagar and Warangal districts, have been advised, the official said.''The problem in visiting the interior areas without informing the police is that the gunmen who go along with the representatives are exposed to grave risk. If the local police is informed, then proper arrangements like area domination exercise, road checking among others can be made,'' the official said.The official added that advice comes in the wake of the recent abductions in Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The advice is applicable to senior bureaucrats as well. ''Normally, the public representatives do inform us about their visit most of the time but some senior bureaucrats go without informing the local police, which they should avoid,'' another senior IPS officer said.