Sabyasachi arrest not stage managed, says Odisha CM

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury

Bhubaneswar, July 25:

Refuting the opposition BJP’s charge that Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda’s arrest was stage managed, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik today said his government does not believe in stage managing things or drama for narrow political ends.

“We do not believe in stage managing things or drama. People of our state know the commitment and sincerity with which my government deals with issues concerning the state, including Left Wing Extremism. It is because of the sustained, intelligent hard work, along with valour and sacrifice of Odisha Police, that today Sabyasachi Panda is behind bars. Let us not belittle the sacrifice of security personnel who have lost their lives in our fight against Left Wing Extremism for narrow political ends,” said Patnaik in the state Assembly replaying to the debate on the demand for grants of the Home and General Administration depratments.

The chief minister said that the government is committed to hard work.

“I can also tell those who like to politicize these sensitive issues that people of Odisha know very well as to who is doing what and with all humility, I would like to say that people have been repeatedly blessing our government because “We believe more in deeds than in words”. We believe in sincere, committed hard work than in doing drama for narrow political ends,” said the chief minister.

He said that law and order has remained peaceful in the state and Maoist menace has decreased against last year.

“The quantum and intensity of Maoist violence has declined in the state in 2013 and 2014 till date.  A total of 128 Maoist related incidents have been reported in the state during this period, which includes 41 incidents of exchange of fire between the Maoists and the police.  28 Maoists have been killed, 158 have been arrested and 142 have surrendered. Security forces have also recovered large quantities of fire arms, explosive devices and other materials during the period,” informed the chief minister.

He also said that significant efforts have been made to upgrade  the training and capacity of security personnel to meet the  multifarious challenges to  policing  with thrust  on anti-extremist  training to combat  the Maoists and  professional skill up-gradation training  to enhance their  investigative capacity.

“My Government has remodeled its ‘Surrender & Rehabilitation Scheme’ with enhanced financial assistance with a view to encourage more number of Maoists to shun violence and join the mainstream.  About Rupees three crores has been disbursed to the Maoist surrenderees under the scheme so far,” said Patnaik.

Dissatisfied with the answer of the chief minister, Opposition members walked out of the House.