Odisha yet to give names of those to be released

                                                                                              
 The Odisha government, which announced that eight Maoists and 19 others would be released from jail for freeing an abducted legislator and an Italian after pressure from the ultras, was on Thursday yet to announce their names. The names of these persons, including the eight Maoists, were
expected to be announced soon, a senior offical said. "We are waiting for a response from the Maoist groups holding the BJD legislator from Laxmipur, Jhina Hikaka and Italian Paolo Bosusco after it was announced that the state government will facilitate release of 27 persons from jails," the official said.
"Though the Maoist groups are yet to respond to the decision on release of jailed persons, the state government is hopeful about getting some positive information from the abductors of the MLA and the Italian," said another official.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik had on Wednesday said the government would facilitate release of 15 members of the Maoist-backed Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS), eight Left-wing extremists (LWEs) and four persons from the list of Odisha State Organising Committee of CPI (Maoist).
Patnaik had also made a fresh appeal to the Maoists to release Hikaka and Bosusco unharmed and in good health.
The Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee of CPI (Maoist), which was behind Hikaka's abduction, has fixed today as the deadline for fulfillment of its demands, including the release of ultras and CMAS activists.