Odisha CM demands uninterrupted helicopter service to tackle LWE menace

Bhubaneswar (07/10/2024): Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi demanded uninterrupted helicopter service to tackle the LWE menace in the state. Attending a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in New Delhi on Monday, the Chief Minister said, "The State of Odisha, has been at the receiving end of this menace, for a long period.

With concerted efforts, and in coordination with the Central and State Security Forces, the LWE activities have been restricted, to a significant extent, and the incidents of violence have been minimized.

Our police personnel together with the central forces, undertakes intelligence-based counter-insurgency campaigns.

In addition to well calibrated security responses, our government’s focused developmental interventions, and people-centric policies, also brings about changes, in the situation, in most of the affected areas.

The security personnel have fought back, to free more areas from the influence of CPI (Maoist) which is now confined, to sporadic pockets of ten districts in the state.

We also aim to choke down, their mass support base, and discourage recruitment of local cadres to their outfit.

Our government is also trying to integrate, more areas into the socio-economic-political mainstream, by facilitating remarkable progress in every sphere.

However, Kandhamal- Boudh- Kalahandi axis is in our focus now.

Despite sustained and aggressive operations, Naxals have shown considerable resilience, and they continue to hold ground, in this particular area.

All concerned agencies, including State Forces, Central Armed Police Forces, Intelligence Bureau, State Intelligence Unit and Special Task Force (STF), are operating in seamless synergy to flush out Maoists from this axis." He highlighted that the developmental machinery, has also been energized, in this axis.

This is being taken further, by taking the community into confidence, through developmental activities.

In some difficult and inaccessible pockets in Kandhamal district, medicines are being distributed, through drones.

Super specialist doctors are deputed to different areas, for providing improved healthcare, to the people.

Also, initiatives for skill development, and women empowerment activities, are paying rich dividends.

He thanked the Government of India, for their continuous support, in combating the naxal menace, in the state in an effective manner.

Flagging few issues, the CM said, "With large scale induction of Security Forces, anti-Naxal operations are picking up, in Chhattisgarh.

In such a situation, there is reasonable apprehension of possible movement of LWE cadres, from Chhattisgarh to Odisha, and their possible relocation inside Odisha.

To counter them, Odisha Government has raised, 3 Battalions of ex-servicemen OSSF (Odisha Special Striking Force).

Vacancies in other ranks of Police, are also being filled up, in a time-bound manner.

However, till the recruited forces are deployed on the ground, there is a pressing need, for effective area domination, to check infiltration from Chhattisgarh, and to augment intelligence-based operations.

In the current scenario, I request you, not to withdraw the Central Forces, till the induction process is complete.

Also, may I request you, to send at least 12 Coys of CAPF for a period of 2 years, to be deployed in LWE affected areas, to prevent infiltration, and eradicate LWE from Odisha, in a time bound manner.

Uninterrupted Helicopter service, is a critical requirement, for the security forces and movement of troops, maintenance of forward posts, and to respond to the exigencies, in the LWE theatre of conflict.

A dedicated helicopter, may please be provided to the state." .