Bhubaneswar: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday said that no major Left Wing Extremism activity has been notices in the affected districts.
Stating that the recruitment to the Maoists organisation has declined, Patnaik said that the mass support base of the organisation has been rendered weak due to pro-active security measures and development interventions.
“Our intelligence based operations have yielded siginificant results in 2018 with netralization of five hard core cadre and 12 arrests,” Patnaik said.
The chief minister, who holds the portfolio of Home, General Administration and Public Grievance, was replying to the debate on demands for grants for the three deplartments.
Referring to the recent series of rape of under age girl children in the state, Patnaik assured the Odisha Assembly that his government would take all measures to ensure that the recent rape cases are tried expeditiously.
“I want to assure this august house that my government will spare no efforts in ensuring that they (rape cases) are tried expeditiously,” Patnaik said while dubbing the recent rape incedents as ” highly condemnable”. He said the police have taken timely action in arresting the accused persons in the shortest possible time.
About seven minor girls were raped last week and two such incidents have already taken place in last five days.
However, unsatisfied over the chief minister’s reply, opposition BJP members staged a walk out in the assembly.
Stating that the Standing Committee has recommended for initiating appropriate measures to increase the conviction rate, the chief minister said that 192 assistant public prosecutors have been recruited to strengthen the State Prosecution Service.
Refering to anti-corruption activities, Patnaik said the state government has decided to set up a State vigilance Academy at Bhubaneswar for upgrading the professional knowledge and skills of the vigilance officers.
He said, the state vigilance, during the year 2017 and till March 31, 2018, has registered 603 criminal cases and has also initiated 765 enquiries against the public servants. Two hundred seventy nine persons have been arersted in vigilance cases and 44 public servants have been dismissed from the government service.
The chief minister said that Rs 100 crore budget provision has been made this fiscal to enhance air connectivity within Odisha with upgradation of air strips at various places.
