Cuttack, Feb. 18: Blaming the state government for the recent Naxalite attacks, Orissa Police Association (OPA) has demanded formation of a separate cadre for the intelligence wing with more manpower and advanced technological know-how.

The Orissa Police Havildar Constable & Sepoy (OPHCS) Confederation also made the same demand at a joint press conference here last evening. The association said intelligence failure of the state police came to the fore when hundreds of Maoists orchestrated a series of attacks in Nayagarh.

“There was no intelligence input regarding the attack. There was no warning of any threat of Maoist attack,” said OPA president S. Sharma. “Not much should be expected without adequate manpower, vehicles, communication equipment and other facilities,” said confederation president Padmanav Behera.

The association and confederation differed on their demand over declaring more districts as “Naxalite-prone” but were united in their claim for provision of helicopters for reinforcement and air attack, said sources.

While the police officers asked the state government to declare Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Deogarh, Angul, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Jajpur as “Maoist affected”, the confederation pressed for declaration of the entire state as Naxalite-prone.

OPA secretary Sunil Mohanty said: “All the police stations under threat should be fortified immediately with barrack facility, preferably with a security post.”

The havildars, constables and sepoys, on the other hand, were in favour of fortification of all police stations, outposts and fixed duty posts in the state.

Police officers, in a separate 12-point charter of suggestions, said that a committee comprising senior police officers, retired police personnel, local political leaders, social workers and office-bearers of both OPA and OPHCS Confederation has been formed to study the burning problem.

The havildars, constables and sepoys, in their list, suggested deployment of at least five more platoons of force in each of the 30 districts and recruitment of more jawans in the Special Operation Group (SOG).

They also demanded 50 per cent of basic salary of police personnel as incentive allowance. “In the case of those in SOG, it should be 75 per cent,” said P.K. Nayak, the general secretary of OPHCS Confederation.