Bhubaneswar: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is set to hold a meeting of its empanelment committee on August 7 to shortlist three eligible candidates for the post of Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha.
The meeting, to be held at New Delhi, comes ahead of incumbent DGP YB Khurania’s retirement on August 16.
The Odisha government had earlier permitted DGP Khurania to retire from service on August 16 upon completion of his tenure as the state’s top police officer.
Under UPSC guidelines, only officers with at least 25 years of service and a minimum residual service of six months are eligible for consideration for the post of state DGP.
Back on May 14, the state government submitted a list of 11 senior IPS officers to the UPSC for empanelment. The probable candidates includes Sudhanshu Sarangi (1990 batch), Susanta Kumar Nath and R P Koche (1993), Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa (1994), Ritu Arora, Saumendra Priyadarshi, Santosh Bala and P S Ranpise (1995), along with Arun Bothra and Sunita Kakran (1996). Of them, Sarangi, Nath and Koche are DGP-ranked, while the rest are ADGPs with over three decades of service.
All contenders under consideration satisfy the mandatory requirement of having at least six months of residual service remaining. Frontrunners among the candidates include 1990-batch officer Sudhanshu Sarangi along with 1993-batch officers Sushant Kumar Nath and R P Koche.
Sources said the UPSC will prepare a panel of three senior-most IPS officers as per the guidelines based on their length of service, a very good record and diverse experience in heading the police force.
The UPSC empanelment committee for state DGP’s selection is a high-level body constituted in accordance with Supreme Court’s guidelines to shortlist three eligible candidates for appointment as a state’s police chief.
The committee comprises of UPSC chairperson or their nominee as the head, Union Home secretary or their nominee, police chief/head of a Central Police Organisation or Central paramilitary force, who is not of Odisha cadre, as well as the chief secretary and outgoing DGP of the state concerned.
Following a thorough assessment of service records, merit, and seniority during the August 7 meeting, the UPSC panel will narrow the list to a final shortlist of three names. This finalized list will then be submitted back to the Odisha government, which will choose the final candidate and announce the state’s next Police Chief ahead of Khurania’s August 16 retirement.