Maoists run parallel admin in LWE hit areas of Odisha: Jairam Ramesh

ODISHA: Maoists were running a 'parallel administration' in left wing extremism hit areas of Odisha and BJD-ruled government should depend on the state police to boost the people's confidence instead of depending on central forces, Union Minister JairamRamesh said today.

"It pains me to note that Maoists are running parallel administrations in these areas as poverty alleviation programmes are not reaching out to designated beneficiaries," Ramesh told a Congress meeting here.

"Funds are being siphoned off because of corrupt administrative set ups in these backward areas," the Union Rural Development minister, who has claimed to have visited all the 18 LWE hit districts of the state, said.

He said that the Maoists were taking advantage as people have lost faith and trust in the democratically elected government in the state.

Referring to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's demand for additional forces for anti-Maoist operations, the Union minister said the state government must upgrade its own police force and boost their confidence to tackle the situation.

"It is the responsibility of the state government to upgrade and improve its own police force," Ramesh said, adding that the Centre was ready to assist the state governments to fight the Maoists.