Anti-naxal strategy meeting: Odisha to demand Union Home Minister for extra security forces

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 3:

Odisha will once again demand Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for deployment of two more battalions of central forces at the meeting scheduled on May 8 in New Delhi, informed Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.

After chairing a high level meeting on anti-naxal strategy at the state secretariat here today, Padhi said that Odisha will demand for extra security forces to tackle the Maoist situation. Also, the demand will be raised for improvement of mobile connectivity and road connectivity.

“We discussed the security issue at the meeting. We decided to press our previous demand for two more battalions of central security forces. Besides, we will raise the development issues at the upcoming meeting convened by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh especially about the lack of mobile connectivity in Maoist-dominated districts”, he told reporters.

“The bandwidth is not sufficient for the internet connectivity in the districts where the mobile connectivity is available for which the locals and security forces are facing problems. Even people who are working there for the project like Gurupriya bridge face difficulties for communication due to lack of mobile connectivity. We will demand for improving the mobile connectivity and road connectivity during the meeting”, Padhi said.

“Also we will raise the previous demand for reimbursement of SRE related expenditure”, he added.

Notably, the preliminary meeting was held today to discuss State’s plan to address Maoist menace ahead of the anti-Maoist strategy meeting of eight affected states called by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.