BHUBANESWAR: Even as six of the 19 districts of the State have shed ‘Maoist-hit’ tag, the Odisha Police will make a fresh audit of security needs of major installations in the Left Wing Extremist (LWE) affected areas.This was decided at a high-level meeting where security vulnerability of tribal-dominated Malkangiri and Koraput districts were reviewed. Chairing the meeting, Chief Secretary A P Padhi directed the Odisha Police to assess the security requirement including manpower, equipment and logistics of vital installations in the two districts.
Though the meeting was convened to review the security aspects of dam and reservoirs in the two districts, sources said security arrangements of Central Government undertakings including Nalco’s alumina refinery at Damanjodi and Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL) at Sunabeda in Koraput were discussed.
While the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is managing the security of Nalco refinery, the Defence Security Corps provide security at the HAL site. The two Central security agencies have their own parameters to assess their need, the sources added.
The two hydro power stations - Upper Kolab and Machhkund - located in Koraput are vulnerable as their securities are in the hand of private agencies. The Machhkund hydro power project is comparatively safe as two units of the Border Security Force (BSF) are stationed nearby. Besides, the newly opened bridge on river Gurupriya is being guarded by BSF personnel.
Security audit of vital installations is done in a routine manner to find out the shortcoming if any in the existing security arrangements, sources in the Home department said. Among others, DGP R P Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary of Home Asit Tripathy and senior officers of departments concerned were present.