New Delhi: Rajya Sabha Member Dr Sasmit Patra has raised the issue of Left Wing Extremism through a special mention in the Upper House and asked the Central Government to undertake various measures to tackle the extremism situation in Odisha. He also proposed a few important measures to be undertaken by the Central Government that can help to tackle the LWE situation in the state and neighborhood. He placed the proposals of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik which he had placed during the Union Home Minister’s review of LWE affected States on 26th September, 2021.
Under the leadership of Odisha Chief Minister, Left Wing Extremism has come down in the state. Union Home Minister’s Review of LWE Affected States was held on 26th September 2021 where Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik had offered proposals that if undertaken by Centre would help in further reducing LWE extremism in Odisha. the five proposals are : Firstly, the Four-laning of NH 326 from Jeypore to Motu via Malkangiri up to Bhadrachalam. This will provide a parallel road for traffic from eastern India, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand to South India especially Bangalore and Hyderabad providing huge economic impetus to this region. Secondly, the Railway Ministry and Odisha Government are already constructing two legs – from Jeypore to Nabarangpur and Jeypore to Malkangiri through cost sharing. The missing part between Malkangiri to Bhadrachalam of length 153 KM and Nabarangpur to Junagarh of length 118 KM can be undertaken to provide a very viable alternative path to the trunk routes of railway and improve economic growth of these areas. Thirdly, providing mobile connectivity to areas of southern and western Odisha with an estimated 2,000 more mobile base stations to be setup. Fourthly, setting up Bank branches in LWE areas with free land and building provided by Odisha Government. Fifth, the Government should strive to ensure that more children from these LWE affected areas secure admissions through NEET, IIT JEE etc. It is primarily through economic prosperity of these LWE affected districts that we can stop LWE extremism.