Law & order situation in Odisha peaceful: CM

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday claimed that the law and order situation in the state was "peaceful" and "largely under control."

Patnaik said this in the Assembly while replying to the debate on the demand of Home and General Administration departments.

"Our state has grown at a rate higher than the national growth rate and has attracted crores of rupees investment, it is because of the peaceful law and order situation in the state," Patnaik said adding that the simultaneous elections to Parliament and Assembly were held peacefully.

Noting that there has been no significant communal or student unrest in the state, Patnaik said sporadic law and order situation have been handled with tact and forbearance.

 

The chief minister, who also holds charge of the Home department, claimed that the Left Wing Extremism situation has improved substantially during last few years.

He, however, admitted that only a few pockets in the hilly and difficult terrains and the inter-state borders along Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh remain the "areas of concern".

During 2018, 19 hardcore CPI(Maoist) cadre were killed and in the current year seven Maoists have been killed.

Protection of women, children and weaker section was among the top-most priorities of the state government, Patnaik said, adding all rape cases involving minors and other important cases are being treated as red flag cases for better monitoring of investigation leading to increase in conviction rate.

The chief minister informed the House that all possible measures are being taken to improve the conviction rate in the state. As many as 148 cadre Assistant Public Prosecutors and 11 cadre Public Prosecutors have been posted to improve quality of prosecution.

Patnaik said the government was committed to maintain transparency in administration. The office of Lokayukta has started functioning since March 20, 2019.

Responding to opposition demands, Patnaik said: "My government will take steps to pass the Police Act at the earliest."

The Opposition BJP and the Congress, however, came down heavily on the state government accusing it of failing to maintain law and order in the state.

There are seven rape, four murders and six riot cases in the state everyday while the conviction rate is only 10 per cent, the opposition lawmakers said.

"The conviction rates clearly indicates that about 90 per cent of the accused persons get acquittal due to lack of proper investigation and proper prosecution," said Leader of Opposition Pradipta Naik of BJP.

BJP deputy leader B C Sethi claimed that poor, dalits and tribals are "worst sufferers" in the BJD government as the police "works on party line".

Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra alleged that the victims are denied justice because the government prosecutors are appointed on party line instead of from the cadre.