Bhubaneswar: Tough working hours and rough elements of society often force police officers to shed the softer side of human nature. But there are some exceptional officers who remain undeterred by the situations to continue working for the vulnerable sections of society. Dhiraj Lenka, IIC, Chakapada in Kandhamal district is one of them.
Moved by the helplessness of the people of weaker section of society during COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, Dhiraj has been extending a benevolent hand to his capacity. Besides, he has been promoting awareness on maintaining social distancing and wearing face masks.
“I was supporting them from the first phase of lockdown in G Udayagiri where I was appointed before coming to Chakapada. I joined Chakapada police station a month back,” said Dhiraj.
“I have cooked and distributed food to the needy people. I have also distributed dry ration to the poor families. My friends and colleagues have helped me a lot in this work,” said Dhiraj.
Dhiraj attributes his helping nature to his father. “My father Debraj Lenka, who is a writer, has a soft corner for these people and I was inspired by him since my childhood,” he said.
“In this tough time, many people, especially physically handicapped people, have been suffering a lot. Many have lost their jobs and daily wage workers have nothing to do. Some of them even did not have food to eat. I had to help them,” said Dhiraj.
Even in normal times, Dhiraj has come forward to help the poor and needy people in various ways. He has helped those who cannot afford going to the hospital or register a case in the police station.
Besides serving the poor and helpless, Dhiraj contributes his might to environment protection and greenery upgradation. His contribution to constructing a park on police station premises in G Udayagiri stands out.
“I saw the empty field in the police station. Then I planned to set up a garden and started working on it. I also encouraged my colleagues to help me. I planted saplings of different types of flower trees and also constructed some cement chairs in the park,” said Dhiraj.
“I joined police service in 2009. I am enjoying both my profession and passion. I am giving all my time to both. Thankfully, my family is very supportive. My wife has never complained about anything,” he said.
