The Odisha Government has started an exercise on the existing security set-up in the State, where there are military establishments, strategic installations and religious places of national importance.
This detailed exercise is being taken up under the backdrop of recent terrorist attack on Air Force Station at Pathankot. Heavily-armed terrorists attacked AF Station at Pathankot on January 2 last, where four terrorists and six soldiers were killed.
With this terror attack, the State Government is reviewing its protection and security facilities, strength, deployment and tasks ahead. The exercise includes the positioning of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), police , Home Guards, NDRF and SDRF.
Chief Secretary AP Padhi is reported to have asked to get a status report on the security arrangements in place at the military establishments, religious institutions and public places to the Principal Secretary Home Asit Tripathy.
Principal Secretary Tripathy and DGP KB Singh will prepare the report in this regard, said sources.
Odisha has got several sensitive installations of Army, Navy and Air Force so also of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
Recently Major General Dharam Vir Singh Rana, General Officer Commanding (GoC) Central India Area, has also written to the State Government in this regard.
As the Army is reviewing the internal area security arrangements, the State Government is also taking stock of situation, officials say. In fact the top Army officials will be taking stock of the security arrangements on April 21-22 at Jabalpur, where six States will present the details of the existing security set up.
Those include Odisha, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. These States will be represented by senior officials and top cops, who are handling the security apparatus of the State.
Security arrangements of civil and military installations of strategic importance and cities of great religious importance will be reviewed and measures will be taken, said official sources.
This exercise is being taken up for a coordinated and calibrated response to an adverse situation, said officials. It will also bring in close contact with senior officials of the Army and civil establishments of Defence and State Government, which will increase level of confidence and camaraderie between them, sources said.