CM Naveen urges Centre for allocation of at least 10 IPS officers

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh to consider allocation of at least 10 IPS officers on the basis of Civil Services Examination-2017 to help the state meet its requirements.

In a letter to the Home Minister, Patnaik said such allocation will help meet the requirement at the supervisory level.

He said the Ministry for Home Affairs had not allocated Indian Police Service officers to Odisha cadre as per the requirement over the years.

"When the Ministry was requested for allocation of 10 IPS officers on the basis of CSE-2014 as against 20 regular vacancies, it allotted only six officers to the Odisha cadre," the Chief Minister said.

Similarly, it allotted four IPS officers each on the basis of CSE-2015 and 2016 as against the requisition of 10 officers each for these years, he added.

"Out of 131 IPS posts provided under regular recruitment category for the state, only 116 IPS officers are in position. Out of them, 26 officers are on central deputation," said Patnaik.

All the 57 posts to be filled up by promotion under Rule 9 of IPS (Recruitment) Rules, 1954, have been lying vacant since 1995 because of legal complications.

As such, only 90 officers are in position in the state as against the total strength of 188, leading to 52 per cent vacancy as of January 1, 2018.

The Chief Minister said many districts were affected by left-wing extremism.

"The crime profile in the backdrop of such rising threat has become a cause of concern and has necessitated reassessment of the need for police personnel. This is essential as much to maintain law and order as to ensure unhindered developmental activities across the state," he added.

Patnaik said his government was trying to redress the situation by providing additional reinforcement through fresh recruitment.

However, dearth of adequate police officials at the supervisory level was badly affecting the state government's efforts to improve law and order, maintain peace and contain extremism, said Patnaik.