In a bid to secure the release of Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi, who have been taken hostage by Maoists, the Orissa government on Monday agreed to meet eight of the 14 demands made by the insurgents.

The government on Monday moved jailed Maoist Ganti Prasadam from Koraput to Bhubaneswar and continue negotiations with Maoist-nominated interlocutors.

The government has indicated that it will be honouring eighht specific demands of the Maoists.

"We've so far agreed on eight issues based on specific government measures and decisions," said Orissa home secretary U N Behera on Monday evening.

Behera read out a statement on the eight points of agreement. These were: (1) Orissa government will write to Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh to take action on the extremists demand for release of Maoist central committee members Sheela di (jailed in Jharkhand) and Padma (in Chhattisgarh) owing to their ill-health; (2) ST status for the Konda Reddy and Nukadora communities categorized as OBCs; (3) stopping the multi-purpose Polavaram project of Andhra Pradesh; (4) 'pattas' (record of rights) to tribals dispossessed of their land in Malkangiri and Koraput; (5) irrigation in Maribada and Maniamkonda villages in Malkangiri; (6) compensation based on HC order to Tadangi Gangulu and Ratanu Sirika who died of disease allegedly due to torture; (7) relevant laws for mining operations in Mali and Deomali bauxite mines; (8) minimum displacement of tribals and adequate compensation.

Mediator meet Prasadam at jail

Maoist-chosen mediators discussed certain key demands of the rebels with Maoist leader Ganti Prasadam here on Tuesday, as negotiations for the release of the abducted Malkangiri district collector and a junior engineer reached a crucial stage.

Soon after Prasadam was brought to the state capital from Koraput jail amidst tight security, interlocutors Prof G Hargopal and Dandapani Mohanty met him at the high-security jail at Jharpada here, official sources said.

"The main objective now is to defuse the situation. The impasse should not be allowed to continue for long," said Prasadam, who had expressed the desire to participate in the negotiation to end the six-day hostage crisis following abduction of R V Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.

"Ganti Prasadam was shifted to Bhubaneswar from Koraput with the prior permission of local sub-divisional judicial magistrate on security reason", a senior Koraput prison official said.

A close aide of top Maoist leader Ramakrishna, Prasadam has moved a bail petition before the Orissa high court along with four other Maoist leaders. The state government has decided not to oppose Prasadam's bail, sources said.

Participation of Prasadam in the negotiations remained one of the major demands of the Maoists who had abducted Krishna and Majhi on February 16 from Chitrakonda area of Malkangiri district.