KBK axis in our focus now: CM

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the benefits under ‘Dharitri Aabba Janjatiya Utkarsha Gram Abhiyan’ will be extended in the LWE-affected areas in Odisha.

Speaking at a meeting convened by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Left-Wing Extremism, Majhi said, “a new Yojana called ‘Gramodaya’ is being launched converging more than 40 schemes to cover all the villages situated in the LWE-affected areas with basic infrastructure and services. This will help in improving the social economic condition of the people residing in such areas.” He said this scheme will be implemented in due earnest, covering all the eligible beneficiaries.

The Chief Minister said security personnel have fought back and freed more areas from the influence of CPI (Maoist) which is now confined to sporadic pockets of 10 districts in Odisha.“We also aim to choke down their mass support base, and discourage recruitment of local cadres to their outfit,” he said.The State government was also trying to integrate more areas into the socio-economic-political mainstream, by facilitating remarkable progress in every sphere.

“However, Kandhamal-Boudh-Kalahandi (KBK) axis is in our focus now. Despite sustained and aggressive operations, the Maoists have shown considerable resilience, and they continue to hold ground in this particular area. All agencies concerned, including State forces, Central Armed Police Forces, Intelligence Bureau, State Intelligence Unit and Special Task Force (STF) are operating in seamless synergy to flush out Maoists from this axis,” he pointed out. Along with anti-Maoist operations, the Chief Minister said the State has also geared up its developmental machinery in Kandhamal-Boudh-Kalahandi axis.