Health police With doctors fleeing the interior areas amid Maoist violence,it is the police who have started medical camps in the deep forests. At such a camp in Gajapati district,hundreds of local tribals were given free medicines. Gajapati SP Sartahk Sarangi said the medical camps have helped the police interact better with the tribals and get an idea about what can be done to improve the way they live. Reaching these interior pockets also enhances our intelligence network, said Sarangi. A similar camp was earlier organised by Raygada police. People fear the police because of lack of interaction. We want to reduce the gap between the police and the people, said Raygada SP Anup Krishna. MP angers police The All Orissa Police Association has threatened a strike to protest an alleged assault on a cop by BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Cuttack while he was on duty. Mahtab allegedly slapped sub-inspector Amitabha Mohapatra on Sunday after the latter,citing security concerns,had prevented his supporters from entering the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Birthplace Museum in Cuttack through a narrow passage. The SI lodged a complaint with the local police station and the police association took it up. If the government does not take action within the next 24 hours,we will not do any duty related to VIP security, said Sunil Mohanty,secretary of the association. NHRC rap over KBK The National Human Rights Commission has pulled up Orissa government for its failure to ensure the basics of development in the hunger-bowl of Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput. The NHRC full bench headed by K G Balakrishnan dismissed chief secretary B K Patnaiks attempt to attribute some alleged starvation deaths to anaemia. Anaemia is a symptom of malnutrition. We should not get into semantics over malnutrition and starvation. We have to consider issues like food,health,clean drinking water and education holistically, NHRC member Satyabrata Pal told the government. The commission has asked for a detailed report on what the state has done for the region. Illegal mining The state government has started cracking the whip on miners working without proper documents. Last week it suspended the permission given to 23 miners in Joda area of mineral-rich Keonjhar after they had failed to submit documents to show their operations were legal. This week,after six miners produced the necessary papers,they were allowed to resume operations. The government is also considering a ban on the export of iron ore and chrome ore from the state to meet the domestic demand and check illegal mining. The steel and mines department has drafted a proposal and placed it before the Chief Minister for approval.
