Bhubaneswar, Aug 21 (IANS): At least 18 tribal families have been staying away from their homes in Odisha's Nuapada district for the last one and half years due to the fear of attack by Maoists, police said Thursday.

The residents of Patapani village in the district, nearly 600 km from here, have been living in the houses of their relatives in other villages since February last year after the Maoists kidnapped and killed a school teacher from the village.

Patapani is located in a hilly forested area and one needs to walk about eight kilometres to reach the village, district superintendent of police Umashankar Dash told IANS.

It has a population of about two hundred, mostly tribals, and the residents are divided in to two groups.

While one group is considered to be the supporters of the left wing extremists, members of other group are against them.

The residents who have been staying away from their homes belonged to the group who are opposed to the rebels.

The plight of the residents came to light after they met district collector Jaya Kumar V and sought help from the administration.

"Although we assured them to provide adequate security, none of them want to go back home," Dash said.

The administration will hold dialogue with them for further course of action, he added.