Bhubaneswar: Addressing the last session of the 14th Odisha Assembly, Governor SC Jamir on Monday lauded preparedness of the State government to effectively handle the natural disaster and it's various measures to combat naxal menace in the State.
The Governor, appreciating the efforts of administration in evacuating coastal people to cyclone shelters at right time, said about 9,000 lives were lost in the 1999-super cyclone while the death toll has been limited to only 21 this time. He also praised the pro-activeness of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) during pre and post cyclone period. The accurate forecast of MET department also helped a lot in this regard.
Pointing out the visit of Special representative of UN Secretary General for disaster risk reduction Margareta Wahlstrom to felicitate Odisha Government, Jamir said "Odisha is the first state to receive such award from United Nation in the entire South East Asia."
Governor lauded the sustained efforts of the Government in diminishing trend of Maoist menace in the State. Augmenting the striking capabilities of the special Operation Group is the key strategy to combat naxal violence, he said. Similarly, he emphasized enhancement of police infrastructure to ensure peace and harmony.
Four security special security battalions have been created to enhance the capacity of 83 most vulnerable police stations. Establishment of Odisha Special Striking Force (OSSF) by inducting ex-servicemen, filling up more than 15,000 posts in police department are among the steps that signal my Government's resolve to maintain peace and harmony, Jamir said.
To encourage left wing-extremists to shun violence, the government has revised the surrender and rehabilitation scheme for the Maoists, the Governor said adding the scheme extends financial assistance up to Rs 2.5 lakh.
Jamir also praised the formation of Economic Offence Wing (EOW) in the police department to deal with various financial frauds. The crime and Criminal Network system projects and Community Policing scheme- Ama police are also another people-friendly projects of the government, he said.
On the other hand, Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh and his colleagues protested Governor speech. Singh was found delivering a parallel speech commenting on Government's failure while other Congress members waved banners mentioning various anti-government slogans in the well. The Opposition members staged walkout after the speech of Governor.