Odisha CM Patnaik opposed to NCTC in present form

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has said that he is opposed to the proposed creation of a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in its present form.

Odisha is largely affected by Maoist attacks, and Patnaik said: "No, we still don't approve of it (NCTC) in its present form."

Opposition-ruled states have opposed the NCTC since the plan's inception, alleging that the Congress government would use it to encroach on their powers.

India is grappling with Maoists in nearly 180 districts and militancy in Kashmir and northeastern states.

Decades of neglect have allowed the Maoists, known as Naxalites after the West Bengal town of Naxalbari where the movement was launched in 1967, to sink deep roots in central India and form links with powerful Maoist guerrillas in Nepal.

The rebels, also known as Naxals, have fought for decades in a wide swathe of central and eastern India, including many resource-rich regions where tensions run high between poor farmers and industrial developers.

The Maoist insurgents are estimated to number between 6,000 and 8,000 hardcore fighters in nearly a third of India's 630 districts. While they have made few inroads into cities, they have spread into rural pockets in 20 of 28 states.