BHUBANESWAR - Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday blamed the central government for not helping the state in countering the Maoists effectively.

“There is not enough central assistance to counter the Naxalites (Maoists) in our state effectively,” Patnaik said replying to an adjournment motion moved by the opposition in the state assembly on growing Maoist activities in the state.

“Our government has sent several proposals to the government of India seeking assistance to deal with naxalites. We have so far trained more than 8,000 policemen and about 4,000 policemen are waiting to be trained by central training institutes,” he said, adding they needed additional deployment of central paramilitary forces while the state’s personnel were being trained.

Patnaik said the central government ignored the demands of the state for the deployment of four battalions of central paramilitary forces in the state on a long term basis and three more battalions for short term engagement.

“Our request for a dedicated helicopter has also not been acceded to,” he said.

“Central forces have been withdrawn from communally sensitive district of Kandhamal against my requests to retain them,” he said, adding that Kandhamal also has Maoist problem.

Maoists are active in more than half of Orissa’s 30 districts.