MCC for model zones in two Jharkhand dists

jamshedpur: the outlawed maoist communist centre (mcc) reportedly is targeting to convert west singhbhum and the newly-created saraikela-kharsawan district into its model zones. sources revealed here that the banned extremist outfit has devised plans to build model zones from aurangabad in bihar to west singhbhum and saraikela-kharsawan districts in jharkhand. the model zones would be on the lines of telangana in andhra pradesh, a peoples' war stronghold. neighbouring west bengal and orissa, officials fear, the naxalite group was eyeing the mountainous and thickly forested region of west singhbhum and saraikela-kharsawan that could serve as a corridor. top police officials admit that a base in the two districts could facilitate inter-state movement of the extremists. the police had last month carried out an operation to flush out mcc extremists from manoharpur block of the west singhbhum district, following reports that a band of armed extremists was camping in the area. an mcc cadre was killed in the encounter at bitkil soy village situated deep inside the saranda forest. the police had also recovered an slr and propaganda material during the raid. the reverse has, apparently, not dampened the spirit of the mcc trying to spread its tentacles in the two districts. the mcc cadres have been surreptitiously frequenting the area even after the police encounter last month, reliable sources informed. the group has been, the sources added, trying to exploit issues like lack of development to win over the largely tribal populace of the region. the campaign to garner public support, which has been continuing for the last one year or so, hasn't gone too well. the villagers themselves had tipped off the police about the movement of armed extremists in the region last month.