Odisha Govt Allows DGP Sunil Bansal To Retire On Dec 31; Who Will Be The New Police Chief?

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has allowed Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Kumar Bansal to take retirement from the government service on December 31, fuelling speculations about his successor.

The Home department of the state government informed about the decision through a notification, which put to rest speculations that Bansal may get an extension.

“Shri Sunil Kumar Bansal, IPS (RR-1987), D.G. of Police, (HoPF), Odisha is allowed to retire from Government service w.e.f 31.12.2023 AN on completion of his two years tenure as DGP (HoPF), Odisha,” the notification read.

With Bansal’s retirement on December 31 getting confirmed, names of top contenders for the post, which include a woman IPS officer, have started doing the rounds.

For appointment of the new DGP, senior IPS officers A N Prasad, B Radhika & YB Khurania appear to be ahead in the race. The names of senior IPS officers Sudhanshu Sarangi and Arun Sarangi also figure among the probables.

Though Arun Ray of 1988 batch is next in the seniority list, 1989-batch IPS officers B Radhika and A M Prasad, and Y B Khurania of 1990-batch are said to the front-runners for the DGP post.

Ray was recently sidelined and given the insignificant posting of officer of special duty (OSD) in the home department. Therefore, chances of him being chosen as DGP are slim, official sources said.

According to guidelines, the DGP is to be selected by the state government from among the 3 senior-most officers empanelled by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) based on their service length, record and range of experience for heading the police force. In addition, officers who have a minimum of six months of service left before retirement are eligible for empanelment by the UPSC for selection to the post.

Pranabindu Acharya, a 1989-batch, is likely to miss the bus as he is due retire on May 31 next year.

However, speculation is rife that the state government may go for the first woman DGP to re-establish its commitment to women empowerment. Radhika is currently on central deputation and posted as Additional DG of SSB, New Delhi. She is also the first female IPS officer of the Odisha cadre.