BJP MlA Dilip Ray has dubbed the oft-repeated one-liner answer of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on a host of important questions pertaining to the law and order situation in the State as ‘unfortunate’.
Ray lamented that while law and order situation in the State has been worsening with rise in police harassment, encounter and custodial death, besides low conviction rate in serious crimes, the Chief Minister who is in charge of the Home Department has failed to provide satisfactory information on several issues in the House.
The Rourkela legislator said that even as the issues were of great importance, the Chief Minister always repeated with a single line statement, “Information is being collected”.
Ray wanted to know how the number of people killed due to lathicharge, shootout and encounter by police in the State since 1905 till date. He asked about the number of custodial death during these years year wise and the steps taken by the Government. But the Chief Minister well-nigh evaded the questions with “Information is being collected”.
To another question of Ray on the number of incidents concerning violence to women between 2010 and 2015; how many cases have been registered on crime against women and how many of them have been disposed of with rate of conviction, the Chief Minister also had the same response.
Similarly, on a question on the number of death of security personnel, civilians and Maoists during anti-insurgency operations in the State since 2000 till date and the steps towards rehabilitation of the bereaved families by the State Government, Patnaik maintained the same one-liner. Patnaik also did not reveal in detail on how many Maoists were arrested, the number surrendered and punished during these years.
Ray also raised the Namatara shootout incident in Kendrapada district on March 8, 2015 in which the police in a show of barbarism had indiscriminately opened fire at the protestors against a wine shop and common civilians. He sought to know if the RDC (central) who had been assigned to probe the matter had submitted the report and if yes, to reveal what is there in the report. However, the Chief Minister while replying said that the RDC (central) was asked to probe the incident on March 19, 2015 and the report is awaited.