Two senior Odisha IPS officers empanelled for Central deputation

In a significant move, two senior IPS officers from the Odisha cadre—Sanjay Kumar and Rekha Lohani, both from the 1997 batch—have been empanelled for central deputation at the Additional Director General (ADG) level.

The approval comes as part of a broader decision by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which has cleared the deputation of 38 IPS officers from various state cadres across India.

Sanjay Kumar, a seasoned officer, has held several key positions in Odisha and at the Centre. Notably, he served a seven-year stint with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), where he was elevated from Inspector General to a top leadership role. After returning to state service in 2022, he was posted as ADG (Modernization) in the Odisha Police.

Rekha Lohani, the first woman ADG-ranked officer from the Odisha cadre to hold a long-term central posting, was appointed as Inspector General and Director at the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) by the Ministry of Home Affairs in late 2022. Prior to that, she had served in various important roles within Odisha, including as IG (Modernization) and Additional Commissioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack.

Their empanelment for central deputation signifies not just personal achievement but also reflects the rising prominence of Odisha cadre officers in the national administrative and policing landscape. Both officers are now eligible for appointment in central police organisations and security agencies under the Union Government at the ADG level.