No mention of Hooch tragedy, Pipili gangrape

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the hooch tragedy in Khurda and Cuttack districts and the increasing crime against women, particularly the Pipili gangrape case, have resulted in an outcry in the State bringing the failures of the State Government into focus, both the incidents were not mentioned in the Governor’s address to the State Assembly. In his address on Tuesday to the Assembly, Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare, however, said the Government had taken strong steps to intensify anti-Naxal operations, with addition of 1,066 posts in the Special Operations Group (SOG).The number of deaths of security personnel has come down from 22 in 2010 to 15 in 2011, Bhandare said and added that there had been considerable success with regard to surrender of Maoist leaders in 2011.  The number of incidents of Naxal violence too has dropped significantly from 130 in 2010 to 100 in 2011.In order to facilitate smooth movement and deployment of security forces in accessible areas and for evacuation of the injured, air services have been provided through deployment of an MI-172 helicopter, Bhandare said.The Governor said to encourage and motivate police personnel exhibiting acts of exemplary courage and gallantry in anti-extremist operations, the Government had instituted State-level gallantry awards for police personnel in 2011.Each award carries a medal, a certificate and Rs 1 lakh in cash, he added.In another initiative, 70 police stations with an investment of Rs 140 crore, Rs 2 crore per police station, are under construction in the Naxal-affected areas, Bhandare said and added that two engineering battalions will be commissioned in Odisha police to take up construction activities in these areas.The Governor said 1,384 constables, 3,127 sepoys and 99 group-D personnel were recruited to strengthen the police force. Recruitment of 511 sub-inspectors/deputy subedars and sergeants, 20 fire station officers and 12 assistant jailors is under process.Bhandare said 13 new marine police stations are being set up to enhance coastal security. Besides three police training institutes at Bayree, Sambalpur and Koraput are being established, he added.