Bhubaneswar, Sept 10: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today expressed strong reservations on the Centre’s proposal to introduce the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence Bill.
“In its present form, it impinges upon the state’s autonomy and goes against the spirit of cooperative federalism,” said Naveen, speaking at the National Integration Council meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister in New Delhi today.
Naveen suggested the Centre to hold further consultations with the state governments for arriving at a consensus. “Whenever the situation demands, the Union government should provide central forces and other logistics and development support to the state based on merits and independent of any political consideration,” he said.
Naveen informed the gathering about the initiatives undertaken by the Orissa government in providing a strong sense of security to the minorities. He said that accelerated socio-economic development of tribal and backward areas and the inclusive growth strategy adopted by the state had helped contain left wing extremism.
He said that due to the high priority accorded by the state to create educational and employment opportunities, radicalisation of the youth and student unrest had been kept under check.
Raising the issue of mobilisation of additional resources for focused development of backward areas in the state, Naveen reiterated his demand that at least 50 per cent of the surplus rent should be charged from the mining companies earning supernormal profits to rapidly develop the backward areas adversely affected by mining activities. He underscored the need to upgrade the security infrastructure in four more districts — Kalahandi, Nuapada, Balangir and Bargarh — by covering them under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.
The other major demands of Orissa included covering five more districts — Bargarh, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Dhenkanal and Jajpur — under the Integrated Action Plan, adoption of a policy to cover each block in the scheduled areas of the state with at least one public sector bank branch to ensure timely flow of funds to the beneficiaries under various schemes.
Claiming that the efforts made by the state have ensured communal harmony and overall peace and amity in the state, Naveen stated that the people of Orissa firmly believed in secularism and peaceful coexistence as a way of life.
“Barring the unfortunate incident of communal violence in Kandhamal district in 2008, the overall law and order situation in the state has been comfortable,” he said.
