Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in a recent letter to the Union Home Minister has clearly mentioned that shortage of IPS officers is gripping Odisha. Still 26 officers have been sent on central deputation and many have been appointed at non-policing jobs.
Earlier this month, Patnaik urged the Centre to allocate at least 10 new IPS recruits from the 2017 batch citing that there is need of more IPS officers in State to improve law and order situation and maintain peace in Naxal-infested areas.
This demand of the Chief Minister has raised many questions as many IPS officers in State are on central deputation and many are doing non-policing jobs.
Former DGP KB Singh is presently appointed as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC). Similarly, senior IPS officer DS Kutte is appointed as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and DIG-rank IPS officer Soorya Thankappan is working as the Registrar of Sambalpur University.
"An officer must be willing to be sent on deputation and the State Government should also be ready to send the officer. Therefore, the Central government cannot take an officer forcibly on deputation and without concurrence of State government they cannot go on deputation," said former DGP Gopal Chandra Nanda.
Odisha has a cadre strength of 188 IPS officers. Of these, 131 are supposed to be direct recruits from the IPS and the remaining 57 are promoted from the OPS. All the 57 posts to be filled up by promotion are lying vacant since 1995 because of legal complications.
Presently, there are only 90 IPS officers working in the State. Thus, 52 percent of the posts are lying vacant against the total strength of 188.
Due to the shortage, many IG-rank officers are appointed as DIGs at various places. Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi and Ganjam SP Ashish Singh are still holding their positions even after being promoted to DIG rank. There are only seven officers against the 20 DIG posts in State.
Former DGP Bipin Bihari Mishra said the State government should try to bring back the officers sent on central deputation to solve the issue.
"Earlier there were some issues but now situation is going out of control. Sending officers on central deputation is not good, the numbers should be reduced and 10 officers should be brought back," said Mishra.
At this juncture many intellectuals have questioned whether the State government is going to provide policing jobs to the IPS officers doing non-policing jobs or is going to bring back the officers sent on central deputation.