Bhubaneswar, June 7: The state government today urged the Centre to relax the physical parameters for tribal youths of the state to facilitate their recruitment into the defence establishments.

Chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi made the request at a meeting between civil and army administrations here today.

He said: "If the norm is relaxed, many tribal youths from the state can get into defence and serve the motherland."

Official sources said that the defence ministry had relaxed the height norms for the Gorkha youths and if a similar relaxation for height, weight and chest size could be made for the tribals youths from Odisha, thousands could be recruited for defence service from the state.

Home secretary Asit Tripathy said that last year, the number of recruits to Army from Odisha was far less than the state's quota.

"We have requested the authorities to carry the balance quota forward and organise more recruitment rallies in the state," he said.

Tripathy assured that the district administration would provide all support for organisation of such rallies. "We plan to recruit around 1,300 youths during the current calendar year," he said.

Padhi also raised the demands for establishment of a recruitment office in Koraput, a brigade headquarters office on Amarda Road in Balasore and recruitment of more youths from south Odisha.