Photo: PTI

UNVEILING AGENDA: Governor Rameswar Thakur addressing the Assembly in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday.

BHUBANESWAR: Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Wednesday expressed concern over the growing Left wing extremism in the State and said the Government was taking various measures to tackle the problem.

Addressing the Assembly on the opening day of a short budget session, Mr. Thakur said 6011 posts in various ranks of the State police had been sanctioned to improve the overall quality of policing and especially to effectively counter the activities of the Maoists.

The plan includes augmentation of staff strength of 83 naxal-affected police stations of the State and creation of four Orissa State Armed Police (Special Security) Battalions for naxal-affected areas, he said.

The Governor, however, said sustained anti-naxal operations had yielded good results and there had been a significant decline in civilian casualties due to naxalite violence during last year.

Modernising police

Mr. Thakur informed the House that the State police was modernising fast by improving the mobility, equipment, weaponry, communications, training and accommodation of the police force.

In order to bring reform in police administration, the Government had taken steps to separate the investigating wing from the law and order wing of the police to ensure speedier investigation, better expertise and improved support with the people, he said.

To start with, the Government had decided to introduce the system in twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, Mr. Thakur added.

He further informed that the Government was also contemplating to put in place a new Police Act replacing the age old Indian Police Act, 1861.

A high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary has been constituted to recommend a draft resolution.

While speaking in details about the various welfare programmes of the government, the Governor said that the Government had proposed an outlay of Rs. 27,000 crore for the Eleventh Plan.

"With a view to reduce the gap between the per capita income of the State and the national average, it has been aimed at achieving an average annual growth rate of around nine per cent during the Eleventh Plan," he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail