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Police chief pacifies irked constables at Malkangiri

BERHAMPUR: The Director General of Police (DGP) of Orissa, Gopal Chandra Nanda used a large chunk of his time to pacify the irked constables and havildars of the naxal infested district during his visit to Malkangiri on Friday.

The DGP was on a visit to Malkangiri just day after the Central government called for a detailed report on Wednesday’s landmine blast by Maoists at MV-126 village which killed 17 policemen. He flew to Malkangiri town in a helicopter along with other senior police officers like IG-Operations Arun Sadangi. But he did not visit MV-126 village where the landmine blast had occurred. Although he was there to take stock of the situation, yet he seemed to be more worried about the depleted morale of the constables and havildars following recent naxals attacks in the district. Perturbed by the continuous killings of policemen by naxals and alleged pathy of higher officials and government towards them, the constables and havildars of Malkangiri had turned unruly on Thursday.

They had manhandled some journalists during the guard of honour presentation to the deceased policemen. The irate policemen did not allow the south-western range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Sanjeev Kumar Panda to pay his last respect to the deceased. On Thursday evening the Constable and Habildar association of Malkangiri district had decided to go on fast without hampering their duties as mark of protest till some senior police officials reached them to hold discussions. The State president of the association, Padmanabh Behera and the State secretary, P.K. Nayak had also rushed to Malkangiri. So, the DGP could not take this issue lightly.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone the secretary of the Malkangiri unit of the association, Kali Charan Sadangi said the DGP held long discussions with them and also gave a patient hearing to their problems. At the urging of the DGP they broke their fast and the DGP and the higher officials took their lunch at the barracks along with the constables and havildars.

Mr. Sadangi alleged that the senior police officers were not reaching the spots of violence in Malkangiri district to boost the morale of the policemen who were fighting the Maoists. They put forward their demands like thirty per cent special package to all policemen posted in the area, transfer to own district after more than three years in the district and choice posting for SOG jawans after two years of jungle warfare. The DGP promised to look into the demands.

Mr. Nanda also visited the family of Sudarsan Bhuyan at Goudaguda, who was among the policemen killed in recent blast. He held a closed door meeting with the police and administration officials. The participants in the meeting include Malkangiri Collector N. B. Jawale, SP Satish Kumar Gajbhiye, DIG (Operation) Arun Kumar Sarangi, and DIG Sanjib Panda. Before flying off to Bhubaneswar he told newmen at Malkangiri that police would adopt new modern methods to tackle extremists.

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