Bhubaneswar: Odisha police have revived the practice of district-level inspections by senior IPS officers, a system that had been shelved since 2019.According to an order issued by the state police headquarters on June 6, 15 officers in the ranks of DGP, ADGP and IGP have been tasked with inspecting police-related activities in 17 districts starting in July. It, however, was not clarified why the practice was discontinued after 2019.The inspections will cover the functioning of the reserve and district police offices, crime situations, left-wing extremism, and overall law and order. Officers have been asked to submit detailed inspection notes within 15 days of their inspection.“The inspecting officers should intimate the month in which they will inspect the assigned districts for approval of the DGP,” the order stated.Among those assigned are crime branch DG Vinaytosh Mishra (Balasore and Bhadrak districts), anti-Naxal operations ADG Sanjeeb Panda (Koraput and Rayagada), modernisation ADG Saumendra Priyadarshi (Jagatsinghpur), coastal security ADG Arun Bothra (Angul), ADG (headquarters) Prateek Mohanty (Jajpur), training IGP Anup Kumar Sahoo (Puri), and crime branch IGP Sarthak Sarangi (Kendrapada).Notably, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack commissionerate areas, along with Ganjam and Berhampur districts — where heinous crimes have surged in recent months — were left out of the inspection list. The headquarters did not clarify the omission.A senior officer said as per protocol, senior officers ranging from the DGP to IGPs should conduct annual inspections across the districts to ensure discipline, transparency and accountability in the policing system.The timing of the system’s revival amid rising crime rates, and recent controversies over police high-handedness and custodial violence is significant.While DGP Y B Khurania could not be reached for comment, a serving SP welcomed the move. “This is a step towards restoring accountability. District SPs and reserve officers will be more alert knowing that senior officers could walk in for surprise checks,” he said.Some retired officers, however, questioned the absence of the DGP himself from the inspection roster. “Traditionally, DGPs have led inspections, visiting at least one or two districts for comprehensive audits. With the incumbent DGP’s tenure ending on Aug 16, the continuity of this order is uncertain,” a retired DGP said, adding inspections are ideally conducted between Sept and March. With monsoon approaching, extensive field visits and parades will be logistically challenging, he said.Another ex-DGP said the credibility of inspections depends on whether findings are acted upon. If inspection notes merely gather dust, the exercise will serve little purpose, added the former DGP.
