Bhubaneswar: All rape cases involving minors and other important cases are being treated as red-flag cases for better monitoring of investigation, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said Monday.
Replying to the debate relating to the Home and General Administration department in the Assembly, Patnaik said protection of women, children and weaker sections of the society is among the top-most priorities of his government.
He said specialised investigation units for dealing with crimes against women have been constituted in 29 districts in addition to Mahila and Sishu Desks and Integrated Anti-Human Trafficking Units.
The chief minister claimed that the overall law and order and crime situation in the state has remained largely under control. The simultaneous elections to Lok Sabha and Assembly were conducted peacefully. There has been no significant communal or student unrest.
Sporadic law and order incidents on industrial, agrarian and labour fronts have been handled with tact and forbearance, he said.
The situation relating to Left Wing Extremism has improved substantially during the last few years. Only a few pockets in the hilly and difficult terrains and the inter-state borders along Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh remain the areas of concern.
During 2018, Patnaik said, 19 hardcore CPI (Maoist) cadres were killed and in the current year seven cadres have been killed.
The state Police, he said, has been vigorously going after organised crimes and economic offences. Notorious gangsters and mafia elements have been arrested.
Criminals associated with drugs, illegal stone-quarry and transport mafia are being dealt with firmly.
The stale Vigilance during the year has registered 137 criminal cases including 26 cases for possession of disproportionate assets, 67 trap cases relating to demand and acceptance of bribe by public servants and 44 cases for misappropriation of public funds
The government, he told the Assembly, will take steps to pass the Police Act at the earliest.
He was highly indebted to the people of state who have blessed the government for the fifth consecutive time adding that he will continue to work hard to fulfill the aspirations of the people, he added.
Stating that in a democracy people are masters, Patnaik announced that `Sachivalaya’ or Secretariat will be called as `Lok Seva Bhawan’.