Patnaik made a statement that a detailed report on how to tackle Left wing extremists would be prepared within a week.

After holding a review meeting to take stock of the situation on Friday evening, Patnaik also said that the intelligence wing of the police would be strengthened and vacant posts in the police would be filled up.

This makes it amply clear that the state government had not learnt any lesson from the Nayagarh arms loot on February 15 night and the attack on a boat carrying a police party in Balimela reservoir on June 29 in which 38 persons were killed.

It may be recalled that in the aftermath of Nayagarh attack, the state government had similar statements saying that a host of measures would be taken to combat the growing naxal menace.

The announcements included raising of more India Reserve Battalions, filling up of the hundreds of post lying vacant in the state police, and fortification of the armouries and police stations in the naxalite-affected regions.

The reality seems to be entirely different. Nothing has changed on the ground till date. All that the Chief Minister had done was asking the Centre to release grants for police mordernisation.

That the policemen working in naxal-hit districts were not happy over whatever the government was doing to tackle the problem became clear when they displayed their anger in Malkangiri town on Thursday.

The policemen at the district headquarter town did not allow one of their senior officers to go near the bodies of the 17 policemen. They also manhandled media persons.

The displeased policemen were, however, pacified by state Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda who talked to them in detail during his visit to Malkangiri town on Friday.

More than 70 security personnel have already fallen victim to Maoist attacks in the state this year. One could only hope that the government would go by its words and not commit a tactical error in containing the naxal menace.