Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik hits out at opposition over accusations

BHUBANESHWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik hit out at opposition which has accused the BJD government’s politicians of nurturing close ties with recently arrested naxal leader Sabyasachi Panda. “People of our State know the commitment and sincerity with which my government deals with issues concerning the state, including left wing extremism. It is because of the sustained, intelligent hard work along with valour and sacrifice of Odisha Police that today Sabyasachi Panda is behind bars,” Patnaik told the assembly. Reading out a statement on grants, The Fourth term Chief Minister, asked his critics not to “belittle the sacrifice of security personnel who have lost their lives in the fight against Left Wing Extremism for narrow political ends.” The intensity of Maoist violence, BJD claims is declining. During 2013 and until now a total of 128 maoist related incidents have been reported in the state during this period, including 41 incidents of exchange of fire between the left extremists and the police, said Patnaik.

Not everyone sees Sabyasachi Panda’s arrest as a significant milestone in the state’s fight against left wing extremism. “The state police may have done its duty by arresting an accused in several controversial cases. But in the long run this may prove counterproductive, since he (Panda) had already been expelled by CPI(M). In the last few years he hadn’t carried out any major attack but was occupying a territory covering Kandhmal and Gajapati districts that Maoists were not entering,” says senior journalist Jatindra Dash. The government says 28 Maoists have been killed, 158 arrested and 142 have surrendered during this period, and Rs 3 crores has been distributed so far under the government scheme to encourage such surrenders.

Patnaik sais 6243 posts of different ranks in the state police had been filled during 2013 and another 3188 posts were created during 2013-14. Another 1808 posts of different ranks have also been sanctioned for the Odisha Industrial Security Force. Addressing oppositions concerns over the government’s rate of conviction, the government had also moved Odisha Public Service Commission to recruit 200 cadre prosecutors as Additional and Assistant Public Prosecutors.