Bhubaneswar: In a bid to boost the morale of
security personnel combating Maoist forces, Orissa government
has decided to provide free homestead land to the families of
those killed in the recent landmine explosion in Koraput.
"Next of kin of the 11 martyrs who died fighting
Maoists, will be provided with land of their choice at any
part of the state except Bhubaneswar," said revenue minister
S.N.Patro.
The 11 members of the state`s anti-naxalite elite force -
special operation group (SOG) were killed in an ambush by
rebels at Baipariguda area in Koraput district on April 4.
Each family could avail 0.04 acres at any urban area or
0.1 acre at any rural pocket in the state free of cost, a
notification issued in this regard said.
The government had, however, not taken any decision to
provide land to all securitymen who died fighting Maoists, he
said.
As many as 151 security personnel, excluding the 11
people on April 4 blast, had died so far during anti-Maoist
operation since 2000 in the state.
Earlier Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced
ex-gratia of Rs 8 lakh each and an insurance sum of Rs 10 lakh
to the kin of those security personnel killed in the landmine
blast by Maoists.
PTI
