By Ratnakar Dash
Malkangiri(Odisha), July 18: A day after the Central government sought a detailed report on Wednesday's naxal attack in which 17 policemen were killed, state Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda on Friday visited the district headquarter town to take stock of the situation.

Nanda, who flew in here along with some of his senior officers, did not visit MV-126 village where the Maoists had triggered the landmine blast completely damaging the mine-protected vehicle in which the policemen were returning to Malkangiri town.

Instead, the DGP held a close door meeting with the police and administration officials to find out about the extremist attack on the policemen on Wednesday. The meeting continued for nearly an hour.

Among others who attended the meeting include Malkangiri District Collector Nitin Bhanudas Jawale, District Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar Gajbhiye, Deputy Inspector General(Operation) Arun Kumar Sarangi, and DIG Sanjib Panda.

The DGP also met family members of some of the policemen who had been killed in the Maoist attack. Later, he also visited the house of one of the victim policeman in the town. He also went round the police camp and interacted with the policemen.

Talking to reporters before his return to Bhubaneswar, Nanda said the police would adopt new methods in tackling the Left wing extremists in the days to come.

The police force will also be mordernised to meet the requirements and the intelligence wing will be further strengthened, Nanda said.

The DGP also said that there were a large number of vacancies in the state police and the same would be filled up soon.

Nanda said technical experts have already visited the site of the attack and a team of senior officials will conduct a deep analysis of the incident.