Orissa wants power to dereserve forest land

The home ministry may consider providing basic training for about 3,000 police personnel in central paramillitary force training institutions to supplement the state's own facililites.

Orissa Government on Tuesday, requested the Centre to delegate it with powers to de-reserve forest land up to four hectares for specific development projects like roads, minor irrigation projects and schools in naxal infested areas.

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Addressing the meeting of Chief Ministers on internal security convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the state government had taken steps to improve agriculture, manage natural resources and regularise pre-1980 settlement in the forest as part its effort to combat naxalites.

Among other pro-people measures taken to counter naxalism, he said a comprehensive resettlement and rehabilitation policy had been put in place which would fully address needs of the displaced persons, Patnaik said.

A statement issued by the CM's office in Bhubaneswar, said that Patnaik had sought creation of one more battalion of CRPF to fight left wing extremists more effectively and also provide a buffer zone between Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

Moreover, the home ministry may consider providing basic training for about 3,000 police personnel in central paramillitary force training institutions to supplement the state's own facililites, Patnaik said.

He also requested the Centre to include the naxalite affected districts of Sambalpur, Deogarh and Jajpur in the security related expenditure scheme of the home ministry.