Odisha Police DG Sunil Kumar Bansal allowed to retire on Dec 31 

The Odisha government has allowed the present Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Kumar Bansal to take retirement from the government service on December 31.

The Home Department, Government of Odisha, informed about the decision through a notification. 

“Shri Sunil Kumar Bansal, IPS (RR-1987), D.G. of Police, (HoPF), Odisha is allowed to retire from Government service w.e.f 31.12.2023 AN on completion of his two years tenure as DGP (HoPF), Odisha,” read the notification.

With this development, it is now certain that the state will have a new DGP on New Year's Day. 

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It is being discussed that the state government has already started the process for the appointment of a new DGP. As a part of this exercise, the state government is said to have sent a list of five IPS officers to the Central government. The officers who are said to be in the race are YB Khurania, a 1990-batch IPS officer who is currently serving as the Special DG of Eastern Command BSF; Arun Sarangi, presently serving as Director of the Biju Patnaik  State Police Academy; Sudhanshu Sarangi, currently serving as the DG of the Odisha Fire Services Department; B Radhika, presently serving as the additional DG of SSB, New Delhi; and AM Prasad, now serving as the DG of Prisons, Odisha. 

Of the five, B Radhika is believed to be the frontrunner for the coveted DGP post. If the name of this 1989-batch IPS officer is finalized, the state will have its first woman DGP. 

“Since the ruling BJD government has been playing the woman card, B Radhika may be a choice. At the same time, as it is the election year, the government may choose one who is well acquainted with the administration and who can work in sync with the administration,” observed senior journalist Akshay Sahu.