Raipur, Jan 25 (IANS) Suspected ultras blew up a control-cum-equipment room of state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on the first day of a three-day strike called by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) to foil Republic Day celebrations.
About 25 armed guerrillas Sunday night stormed into the room at Bakhrupara in Narayanpur, some 300 km south of here, and blew it up with explosives, police officials in the district said Monday.

Officials of BSNL here refused to give details but said that the loss incurred was not less than Rs.5 million as the control-cum-equipment centre had been destroyed completely.

Meanwhile, patrolling and search drives have been intensified across Chhattisgarh as the CPI-Maoist has called for a three-day strike Jan 25-27, which has crippled life in interiors of state’s five southern districts - Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kanker and Bastar - as transporters kept vehicles off the road fearing attacks by guerrillas.

Superintendent of police, Dantewada, Amresh Mishra informed that two live bombs each weighing 25 kilograms were recovered by a joint search team of the District Force (DF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Dantewada-Sukma road.

Officials at the police headquarters here added that over 41,000 police and paramilitary troopers have launched a coordinated offensive against the rebels in Chhattisgarh’s western region bordering Maharashtra and in southern pockets bordering Orissa.

The stepped-up offensives were launched after Home Minister P. Chidambaram chaired a review meeting here Jan 22 that was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil.