This time all the eastern States affected by Maoist menace, including Odisha, will be jointly demanding waiver of payment of deployment charges of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)s to combat left Wing Extremism (lWE).
Sources said that the State Governments have been repeatedly asked to make payment in this regard and authorities are feeling the heat over huge bills presented to them.
With the Eastern Zonal Council (EZC) meeting to be held soon, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal will be demanding total waiver of the charges for Central Security Forces while senior officials of these States will be attending the meeting.
The Inter State Council Secretariat has informed the Odisha Government that the 23rd Eastern Zonal Council meeting will be held soon at Kolkata and sources in Department of Home pointed out that the burning issue will be discussed at length as all these States are affected by Maoist menace and huge demand placed by the CRPF and BSF with the State Governments has come as an additional financial pressure.
While Odisha has raised the issue with the Union Minister Home Affairs and the Prime Minister, this time all these States will be raising the issue in a joint forum, which will deliberate critical issues pertaining to its member States.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is allocating CAPFs to the State to combat Maoists and in return is placing bills for payment of deployment dues.
Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar have represented time and again for waiver of charges as Maoist menace is the biggest threat to internal security.
West Bengal and Jharkhand have pointed out that since protecting the unity and integrity of the country is vested upon the Union Government by the Constitution of India, the States should be exempted from cost of deployment of Central forces for countering any threat to national security.
Bihar has also protested over the issue of advance payment for deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF) for preventive deployment in the State.
However, the MHA is maintaining that under the present policy, only Special Category States are exempted from paying the dues. Other States will have to bear the deployment charges and request of the States have not been accepted.
The MHA pointed out that deployment cost is bare minimum as compared to huge cost being incurred by the Government of India on maintaining the Central Armed Forces.
Secondly, the State Governments will be raising the issue of resuming Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) Scheme, which has been discontinued by the Union Government.
While Bihar will be raising the issue, Odisha is not far behind as it is affecting the development programmes in the backward regions.
In Odisha, the KBK zone is mostly affected due to discontinuance of BRGF and another crucial programme for development, the Integrated Action Plan (IAP).
Several other issues like allocation of coal blocks, setting up of banks, opening of more ATMs, Post Offices and mobile towers in lWE hit districts will be deliberated upon in presence of the Union Minister of Home Affairs and other senior officials of the Government of India, said sources.
