Other States - Orissa   

New DGP spells out priorities

Gopal Chandra Nanda

CUTTACK: Filling of vacant posts in Orissa police, removal of Human Rights constraints, containing Left-wing extremism, continuing the momentum of police modernisation and putting a check on spurt in crime in the State have been identified as the top priorities of the new Director General of Police Gopal Chandra Nanda who assumed charge of the coveted post here on Thursday. Nanda, a 1974 batch officer replaces Amarananda Pattanayak, a 1973 batch officer.

Nanda, widely respected in the State as an upright, honest and competent officer, after assuming charge told media persons that Naxal problem in the State is more of a socio-economic issue than that of a security issue. “Since the State Government is now making sincere efforts to address the Naxal issue, the State police would extend all possible help in Government’s endeavor”, the new DGP said.

Terming Naxal problem in Orissa as ‘nothing abnormal’, Nanda said he is ‘extremely’ satisfied with the police role during the past years in tackling the menace.

“I will carry forward all the good work done by my seniors with top priority,” said the senior IPS officer who is now left with only 11 months for his retirement.

Taking charge at a crucial juncture, Nanda is definitely going to face some inherent problems of the State police to contain the crime in the State, as the force is currently handicapped with acute shortage of staff.

More than 50 percent of posts in various wings of the police department are now lying vacant while officers are not available from the State force to be promoted to IPS cadre.

“I am definitely going to take up this matter with the government soon and make an effort to see that the vacancies in the police department are filled at the earliest,” Nanda said.

He also asserted that with adequate recruitments in the force, promotional prospects of the existing staff would brighten.

On the commissonerate system of policing to be introduced in the twin cities of Cuttack and Bhubanswar in near future, he said once the commissioner-designate is appointed, a committee would be formed under him that would visit some of the cities having the system. “On the basis of committee’s recommendations the new system of policing would be in place for the twin cities,” Nanda said who was working as state vigilance director until recently.

Additional DGP Anup Kumar Patnaik on Monday also took charge as the new director of vigilance. Notifications of their appointments were made on Wednesday.

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