Odisha Governor S C Jamir today expressed happiness over the law and order situation in the state, and said the Maoist menace was under control in several districts.
Addressing the state Assembly on the opening day of the Budget session, Jamir said, "Activities of left wing extremists (LWE) remained under control with no significant activities being noticed in the districts of Gajapati, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj an Nabarangpur."
In the districts of Nuapada, Boudh, Nayagarh, Keonjhar, Sambalpur, Deogarh and Sundargarh, such activities were also contained to a large extent, he said.
The Governor, however, admitted that the Maoist menace was "challenging" in parts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Kalahandi, Rayagada, Kandhamal, Angul, Bolangir and Bargrh districts.
"I am glad that the overall law and order situation in the state during 2017 remained peaceful," he said.
Jamir said a new scheme, the Medical Assistance Funds for Security Personnel, has been introduced for those receiving critical injuries during LWE operation.
The ex-gratia amount has been enhanced from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh per civilian victim, while Compassionate Grant for Security Personnel, who are victims of LWE violence, has been increased from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, he said.
On crime against women, Jamir said the state government has set up 29 Investigative Units for Crime Against Women (IUCAW) declared as district investigation units for handling sensitive cases.
In order to rescue missing children, a campaign titled 'Operation Muskan-III' was launched in two phases in 2017, during which 3,131 boys and 617 girls were rescued from within the state and outside, the Governor said.
On the Mahanadi river water issue, Jamir said with the Union Cabinet constituting a tribunal, the people of Odisha are assured of their due share of water from the river.
The state government has urged the Prime Minister to direct Chhattisgarh to immediately stop construction of projects including six barrages across Mahanadi, he said.
Jamir said foodgrain production is estimated to reach 107 lakh MT during 2017-18 and 122 lakh MT in 2018-19.
About the state's power scenario, he said the Odisha government has developed a comprehensive strategy to augment generation, transmission capacity and distribution infrastructure to provide quality and uninterrupted power at affordable rates.
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