Odisha unified command meets to discuss Maoist menace

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Jan 13:

The unified command of Odisha today met at the Secretariat to discuss the LWE (Left Wing Extremism) in the state and ways to address the challenge.

Even though no information was passed on to the press regarding the outcomes of the meeting, as per information provided by Police DG KB Singh before the meeting, Maoist menace in Angul and Mayurbhanj districts and strategies to address the issue was on cards.

As per a highly placed source, the meeting worked out a strategy for containing LWE in 2016 and reviewed the performance of 2015.

A great deal of emphasis was laid in the meeting upon maintaining proper coordination between the state and the central forces and strengthening of intelligence network to address the security woes in Maoist infested areas. It further discussed the recent death of two BSF jawans in a landmine explosion in Koraput district and the overall performance of the security forces in 2015 calendar year.

Besides, a decision was taken to take up socio-development projects in areas worst hit by Maoism to win over confidence of the public while intensifying combing operations against the red ultras.

The quarterly meeting was chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi and was attended by Home Secretary Asit Tripathy, Police DG KB Singh, Intelligence ADG Sunil Roy, IG Operations Soumendra Priyadarshi along with Inspector Generals (IG)s of BSF and CRPF.

Notably, this was the first unified command meeting after Chief Secretary Padhi and Police DG Singh took charge.