Odisha seeks dedicated helicopter in Naxal-hit areas

Bhubaneswar: Odisha government sought a dedicated helicopter from the Centre for the movement of troops in the Naxalite-affected areas, maintenance of forward posts and responding to exigencies.

Speaking at a meeting in New Delhi that was chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to review the security situation in Left Wing Extremism-affected States, State Finance Minister Bikram Keshari Arukha urged the Centre to fast-track the installation of mobile towers in the Naxalism-hit areas.

A well calibrated security response backed by focused developmental interventions and people-centric policies of Odisha government has achieved significant success in combating Left Wing Extremism, Arukha said.

The areas of influence of CPI(Maoist) have shrunk from 21 districts to limited pockets of 10 districts, Arukha said. The intensity of violence has also declined, and mass support base and recruitment of local cadres have come down, he added.