Race For Odisha DGP Post Heats Up!

Incumbent 1998 batch IPS officer Odisha DGP YB Khurania is set to retire on August 31. Who will succeed him? Going by the Supreme Court’s directive, the Odisha government has already sent sent 21 short-listed names to the UPSC to fill up the administrative vacuum. The rumours doing the rounds is that Sudhanshu Sarangi and RP Koche who also holds rank of DGP are the strong contenders. Besides, names of ADG Sanjeeb Panda head of anti-naxal operations and Yashwant Kumar Jethwa, Director Vigilance are also being discussed. Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi will take the final decision after discussing with his trusted official advisor Prakash Mishra a BJP leader and former retired CRPF DG. Khurania’s claim to fame now is that he has made Odisha officially free of active Left-Wing Extremism. Majhi government is saddled with a crisis of filling the 32,000 police vacancies. Out of this, 20,000 constables and Sub Inspectors will be direct recruitment from the market. The police manpower crises is so acute that it is learnt that the State government may opt to recruit 800 ASI/SI’s on contractual basis henceforth.