KalingaTimes Correspondent
Bhubaneswar, Aug 28: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had on Wednesday claimed that the law and order situation in Kandhamal was under control, on Thursday told the state Assembly that the situation in all the districts of the State other than Kandhamal was under control.

Patnaik saw reason and made a change in his stand after legislators belonging to all the opposition parties disrupted the proceedings of the state Assembly throughout the day demanding resignation of his government.

“The situation in all the districts of the state other than Kandhamal is under control. The situation in Kandhamal district is returning to normalcy fast,” Patnaik said in a statement in the Assembly.

“Curfew is in force in Phulbani town, Baliguda, Tumudibandha, Barakhama, Raikia, G. Udayagiri, Daringibadi and Tikabali and other sensitive areas. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 Criminal Procedure Code is in force throughout Kandhamal.

“Police force and Magistrates have been deployed in al sensitive places performing intensive patrolling. Flag marches are being conducted to ensure peace,” Patnaik said in the statement.

Claiming that all the arterial roads, which were blocked by the felling of trees, had been cleared, Patnaik admitted that fresh instances of road blockade due to filling trees, especially in interior areas of Kandhamal were being reported.

“Peace Committee meetings have been held in troubled areas and appeals have been made to people of different sections of society to maintain communal harmony,” he said.

“Free kitchen and relief camps are operating in six block areas, wherein riot affected people are being accommodated with adequate police protection. So far 11 criminal cases have been registered in different police stations of Kandhamal relating to murder, arson and rioting,” Patnaik said.

“So far, 85 criminal cases have been registered throughout the state and 167 persons have been arrested. A total of 10 persons throughout the State had been killed in various incidents in the aftermath of the murder of Swami Lakshmanananda Saraswati and others on August 23.”

“Strict watch is being kept on the situation and police patrolling and flag marches are continuing in sensitive areas of the state,” Patnaik said.