Chitwan, January 17:

The setting up of physical infrastructure in the main camp of the third division of the Maoists’ People’s Liberation Army (PLA) situated in Shaktikhor VDC is nearing completion, camp management chief Ganesh Prasad Upadhyay said today. The main camp has been provided with electricity by installing two transformers in the camp area. Upadhyay added that PLA personnel were themselves involved in road construction to link the camp to other parts of the VDC.

Two bulldozers, three trippers, a loader and an excavator are being used for construction work in the camp. The pipeline for drinking water in the camp is connected to the Pithuwa drinking water tank and the work of installing water taps in the camp is going on.

Secretary of the Maoists’ third division Abiral said construction of necessary physical infrastructure in the camp was on and added that the PLA personnel were not facing any difficulty in the camp. PLA personnel are busy making preparations for fish-farming and pig-farming in the camp. A vegetable garden is being laid out and a fitness centre is also being constructed in the camp.

Unlike other cantonments, the Maoist third division camp lacks a helipad. As the Udaypur community forest lies in the area of the main cantonment site here, a helipad has not been

constructed inside the camp. A lot of trees in the forest area would have to be felled if a helipad is to be constructed here, PLA captain Prakash Acharya said. When necessary, the helicopter lands on empty ground near the camp.

Division secretary Abiral said the division, however, lacked means of communication. Seven CDMA phones were installed in the main division camp and sub-camps with the Maoists’ own resources recently, he said. There are altogether 6,100 PLA personnel in different Maoist camps situated in Chitwan district. The Maoists’ main camp of the third division lies in Udaypurdanda of Shaktikhor VDC, Chitwan, while three sub-camps are situated in Bhutyaha of Birendranagar, Rasauli of Chainpur and Gairibari of Shaktikhor.