W. Orissa Naxal nerve centre
Fresh intelligence inputs have suggested that Maoists are expanding base in Orissa, whose chief minister Naveen Patnaik has taken the lead in opposing the establishment of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre. The central agencies have called for precise intelligence-based joint operations by security forces to reign in the Maoists who have become emboldened after the recent spate of abductions and negotiations with the state government. The Union home ministry is asking Orissa to adopt a systematic approach, undertake intelligence-based operations and evolve a strategy to counter the spread of Maoists to new areas.
Security officials said that Orissa is the only state where the Maoists are fast making inroads into newer areas. Western Orissa, comprising Naupada, Bolangir and surrounding districts, is becoming the new nerve centre of CPI(Maoist) activity, the intelligence reports have said. The brutal murder of ASI Kruparam Majhi in Nuapada district, coming days after the hostage crisis, has dipped the morale of the security forces which feel the state government is not doing enough. Top security officials said that despite repeated reminders to the state government for conducting intelligence-based operations against the Maoists, the Orissa government has reportedly turned a deaf ear.
The officials claimed tduring the “joint” anti-Naxal operations by Central and state forces, the state police component is usually small and the state police forces do not have clear directions.
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PC: no nodal agency on terror yet
Age Correspondent
NEW DELHI, MAY 9
Days after home minister P. Chidambaram’s plans to set up the NCTC came under sharp attack from chief ministers, he reminded MPs in the RS Wednesday there is no nodal agency in the country to counter terrorism and fighting terror is the joint responsibility of the Centre and states. He said the IB was the nodal intelligence agency and to “deal with terrorism, we have proposed a nodal agency but that is still under debate”.
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