Odisha seeks 2 more CAPF battalions in Naxal-affected areas

The Odisha government has sought deployment of two additional battalions of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in Left Wing Extremist-affected districts in the state, Union minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs also said the "level of violence" in Kalahandi district does not warrant it to be included under the category of 'Worst Affected Left Wing Extremist (LWE) Districts'. The Odisha government has requested the Centre to include the district in this category.
"The Government of Odisha has requested for two additional battalions of CAPF for deployment in LWE affected areas," Ahir said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.

Further, the minister said deployment of CAPF in LWE- affected states is a dynamic process based on the situation, availability of forces and other ground realities.
Currently, eight battalions each of CRPF and BSF as well as one battalion of CoBRA are deployed in Odisha to assist the state police in anti-LWE operations, he added.
To a query on whether the Odisha government has requested enhancement of bandwidth of mobile towers under LWE scheme, Ahir said that in December 2017 the Department of Telecommunications approved enhancing bandwidth from 512 kbps to 2 Mbps at all VSAT sites under the first phase.

"This includes all 144 VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) sites of Odisha," he said.