IPS reshuffle: B K Sharma appointed DG Fire Services, Santosh Upadhaya to head CB

Bhubaneswar: The state government on Tuesday effected a major reshuffle in IPS cadre by changing portfolios of 19 senior officers.

Director General of Prisons and DCS, B K Sharma (1986 batch IPS officer) will replace Binoy Behera, who retired today, as DG (Fire Services & Commandant General, Home Guards & Director Civil Defence).

Additional DGP (Law and Order) Binyanand Jha will replace Sharma. He has been given charge of Prisons and Director, Correctional Services.

Additional DGP and CMD Odisha Police Housing and Welfare Corporation, Santosh Kumar Upadhaya has been appointed Additional DGP, CID, Crime Branch, Cuttack. The post had been lying vacant since Sharma took charge of Odisha prisons on August 30. Lalit Das, Special Secretary to Odisha Government, Home Department, will replace him.

Satyajit Mohanty, a 1988 batch IPS officer, posted as the additional DGP (Headquarters), has been given the responsibility of Additional DGP (Provisioning). He replaces Pranabindu Acharya, who is now Additional DGP, Railway and Coastal Security.

Additional DGP (Vigilance) Debasish Panigrahi is the new Director (Vigilance). The post was lying vacant after RP Sharma was made Odisha DGP.

Arun Kumar Ray, a 1989 batch officer, has been posted as Additional DGP, Communication. He was earlier attached to the State Police Headquarters.

Arun Bothra, posted as IG of Police Railways, is the new IG of Police (Modernisation), replacing Amitabh Thakur who has been appointed IG of Police (Law and Order) in place of Jha.

Besides, IPS officer Santosh Bala has been posted as the new Special Secretary to Odisha Government, Home Department, Asheet Panigrahi as IG of Police (Headquarters) and Sudhanshu Sarangi as Director (SCRB).Sarangi will replace Rajesh Kumar, who has been posted as IG of Police (Fire Services and Home Guards).

SP, Railways, Sanjay Kaushal has been promoted to the rank of DIG, Vigilance.