A spate of violent incidents by Left-wing extremists has provided grist to the Opposition Congress mill for attacking the Government. It slammed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who also holds Home portfolio, for the rapidly-deteriorating law and order situation in the State.
Criticising the State Government for its failure to tackle the growing Maoist violence, former minister and chairman of the media cell of the OPCC Narsingha Mishra said unless socio-economic problems are solved, the menace cannot be tackled.
Mishra alleged that police had failed to face the challenge of Maoists because of the demoralisation in their ranks. The morale of the police force has touched nadir because of political interference, he said. Police officers are used as agents of the BJD rather than law-enforcing authorities, he said. The former minister maintained that the fast-deteriorating situation because of the Maoist violence cannot be arrested unless land reforms are implemented. The State Government has thrown the Land Reforms Act into the dustbin, he said and added many BJD leaders are landowners. When people do not get relief, they take law into their hands, he said. Till economic problems of people are solved, the Maoist menace will remain.
OPCC general secretary Arjya Kumar Gyanendra said the Chief Minister is not able to give time to administration because of political problems. Stating that police administration needs a full-time minister, Gyanendra said the Chief Minister is also in-charge of several other key portfolios.
This has greatly affected the functioning of the Government, Gyanendra said and alleged that the law and order situation in the State is fast deteriorating.
A group of armed Maoists killed a tribal Special Police Officer (SPO) Ajit Sodi and injured another in Podia in Malkangiri district late on Saturday night. The ultras attacked three SPOs when they were returning from a local market at Podia, about 70 km from Malkangiri, and fired on them indiscriminately killing Ajit on the spot.
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