Odisha Govt’s Decision To Strip DGP Of Transfer Powers ‘Retrograde, Thoughtless’: M Nageswara Rao

Bhubaneswar: Former interim CBI Director M Nageswara Rao has dubbed the Mohan Majhi government’s decision to divest director general of police (DGP) of critical supervisory powers in transfers and postings of police officers in DSP and equal ranks in Odisha as ‘thoughtless, retrograde and anti-professional’.

According to a July 24 Home department notification, the transfer and postings in the rank of DSPs/assistant commandant (AC) and additional superintendent of police (ASP)/deputy commandant (DC) will be carried out at its level by constituting a committee headed by the state home secretary.

This came 22 years after the previous BJD government vested the DGP with power to transfer police officers which back then was carried out by the Home department.

The government’s decision, however, has not gone down well with the police fraternity.

Taking to X, Rao reminded the CM about his ‘rookies’ team with many in his Council of Ministers with no experience of running a government. “It appears that your government is being misadvised and misled by vested interests. And if tomorrow something untoward happens, it is you and your party that will become unpopular and face public wrath, not those vested interests who mislead you,” he wrote, while urging him to “cancel that retrograde order and restore the powers of DGP immediately”.

Though DGP is a member of the committee, which would decide the transfers henceforth, many feel that the panel is lopsided with two Home department officers and one representation from the police establishment. “A DGP should have freedom in transfer and posting since he had information about all officials of the force. Besides, the Supreme Court order that DGPs should be appointed for a fixed tenure of at least two years would largely remain a ceremonial order if the state police chiefs don’t get enough freedom and authority,” said a retired DGP.

Some former DGPs further stated that the move appears to be an attempt by the government to vest more power with the IAS officers. They were also of the opinion that it would impact efficiency and speed of the functioning since the number of DSP and equal rank officers has grown multi-fold since 2002 and encroach into powers vested under Urban Police Act 2003 to the Commissioner of Police for transfer and posting of Assistant Commissioners of Police (ACP) who are DSP-ranked officers.