Navin seeks additional CRPF deployment to fight naxal menace

New Delhi, Feb 29 (UNI) Home Minister Shivraj Patil today assured Orissa of providing adequate CRPF forces deployment to fight Left wing extermism besides Centre's help to raise five India Reserve (IR) battalions.

An assurance to this effect was given to Orissa Chief Minister Navin Pattnaik who called on him today to discuss the problems posed by growing Left wing extremism in Orissa, a state government release said. The Chief Minister had sought from Mr Patil making available two CRPF battalions for deployment to deal with Left wing extremism and also sought central assistance for raising five India Reserve (IR) battalions.

Mr Pattnaik also told Mr Patil that raising of IR batallions for Orissa will not only enable to combat naxal and extremist activities effectively but also provide employment to local youths. The state was in the process of recruiting 10,000 police personnel in the next few months and the Centre should depute trained para-military personnel from Assam Rifles, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Border Security Force for interim depolyment and training of new recruits.

He also urged the Cenre to include six more districts -- Deogarh, Kandhamal, Jajpur, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal and Nayagarh under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme. The state also requested Mr Patil to increase allocation under the police modernisation scheme to Rs 60 from Rs 27 crore and he agreed to consider the demands at an early date.

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