Bhubaneswar: Border Security Force (BSF)
jawans posted in Orissa's worst naxal-hit areas were high on
morale and ready to take on left wing expremists (LWEs),
BSF Director General (DG) Raman Srivastav said today.
Srivastav, who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and
state Chief Secretary B K Patnaik here, said they had been
working out on certain issues relating to coordination and
other matters with the Orissa police.
"BSF jawans are in good shape. They are fit and ready
for operation. Their morale is high", the BSF chief told
reporters about his visit to certain forces' camps in
Malkangiri and Koraput districts yesterday.
Besides holding discussion with the state DGP M
Praharaj, Srivastav spoke to jawans in the field yesterday.
Pointing out that the entire objective of posting
central forces in Orissa and Chhatishgarh is to facilitate
development works, Srivastava pointed out that development
works were being held up in certain places due to lack of
presence of security forces.
"Now that we are there in the affected areas,
development works like road repair, construction of bridges,
hospitals and re-functioning of market places will start," he
said.
This apart, the BSF were also involved in civic
activities like holding medical camps, sports activities with
the villagers.
"The villagers are now feeling happy that there is
governance. Now they are coming forward to help us in so many
things. We are satisfied," Srivastav said.
Replying a question, he said if required BSF would not
hesitate to increase number of its units in the Maoist-hit
pockets of the state.
"Our presence in certain area is certainly enough to
ensure that development takes places," he said.
The state government requested the BSF chief to help
it in construction of two mega bridges in the Maoist zone of
Malkangiri.
Though the state government had been trying to set up
two bridges at Janbai and Gurupriya in Malkangiri, the work
could not be started due to disruption by rebels.
"We have been trying to set up two bridges for last 15
years. But contractors are not ready to work due to maoist
fear," a senior official in the state's works department said.
The BSF jawans need to be deployed at the site as
the rebels used to disrupt all attempts for construction of
two bridges, he pointed out.
The issue was raised at the meeting between the BSF
chief and the state chief secretary. "The former has agreed to
provide support for any development activities," the official
said.
There were five battalions (one battalion comprises
540 personnel) of BSF force in the state. While three
battalions were deployed in Malkangiri, rest two battalions
had been stationed in Koraput district, Home Secretary U N
Behera said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 24, 2011, 20:49