Saturday, April 1 2006 14:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: Two Orissa Government officials abducted during an attack by Maoists on R.Udayagiri town in Gajapati district on March 24 are being confined in the deep jungles, even as Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said today that efforts were being made to rescue them.

Rabinarayan Sethi, Superintendent of the sub-jail at R.Udayagiri and Ranjan Kumar Mallick, local officer-in-charge of the police station, were shown by a TV news channel today (Apr 1, 2006) being guarded by armed and hooded Maoists.

Both said they were fine while requesting their family members not to worry about them.

The telecast also showed Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda who said that the attack on the R.Udayagiri police station, the OSAP camp and sub-jail was primarily launched to loot weapons and free prisoners.

Asked to comment on the abductions, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said "Efforts are on to rescue them."

"Police are working very hard to ensure their rescue and monitoring the situation. The matter is being urgently looked into. Naturally, we are very concerned about the hostages," he said.

The Director General of Police, Suchit Das said, "Efforts are being made through different channels. Our reports are that they are safe.

"If any strong arm tactics are made, it may endanger their lives," he said adding "We are examining their demands," he said.

Both the hostages, though looking exhausted, were hopeful of early release with Sethi tuning into the news on a transistor.

"They have assured us they will not kill us," he said.

"They are behaving well with us, they are providing us food. But the climate in the jungles is not suiting my health," Sethi said.

A handwritten letter signed by the two hostages containing five demands has been faxed to newspaper offices here two days ago. The hostages confirmed that they had signed them.

The demands included a halt to the 'looting of state's mineral resources' involving foreign companies and being done by the state government in connivance with the Centre.

They also demanded political prisoner status to arrested Naxalites, release of 'innocent persons' convicted in the Mandrabaju police firing case and withdrawal of combing operations in forests.