BHUBANESWAR: Even as the opposition Congress and BJP claimed that crime figures have touched new highs in the state due to the deteriorating law and order situation, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik dismissed the allegations saying the state has remained largely peaceful.
"Intensity of Maoist violence has come down in the state during 2015 and 2016. There is a significant reduction of Maoist's strength in the state and attempts by Left-wing extremists (LWE) to intensify their activities in Kalahani, Kandhamal, Boudh and Nayagarh have been contained to pro-active police action," Patnaik said in the Assembly today.
Replying to a debate on demand for grants of Home and General Administration departments, the Chief Minister said the state government has sent a proposal to the Centre for installation of 518 towers in
the LWE affected districts to increase the penetration of mobile telephony.
Refuting allegations of the leader of opposition Narsingh Mishra on increased atrocities on women, the Chief Minister said the state government has developed several institutional mechanisms with commensurate manpower to check crime against women.
He said that the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), a mission mode project will go live very soon and efforts are on to install CCTV in division offices of engineering departments to prevent tender mafias.
Responding to Mishra's charges that the government is trying to help the corrupt as evident from the low rate of conviction of corrupt officers and confiscation of their ill-gotten property, the Chief Minster said 35 cases against senior government officers have ended in conviction in two special courts constituted under the Act. Besides, orders have been issued for confiscation of property in 31 cases.
Informing that the state vigilance has registered 496 criminal cases against 1004 accused including 135 class-I officers, the Chief Minister said 87 cases have been instituted against 94 public servants and 23 private persons for possessing disproportionate assets.
He further told the assembly that steps have been taken to extend video conferencing facility in 42 more jails in addition to the existing seven jails.