Cuttack: National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday asked the Odisha govt to examine the allegations of acute police manpower shortage and inadequate infrastructure at Jeypore town in Koraput district and submit an action-taken report within eight weeks.The direction came after the commission considered a complaint filed by Jeypore-based human rights activist and advocate Anup Kumar Patro. In a communication issued on June 18 to the chief secretary, the NHRC said the complaint was being forwarded to the competent authority for appropriate action.“The authority concerned is directed to take appropriate action within eight weeks, associating the complainant/victim, and to inform him/her of the action taken in the matter,” the commission stated.Patro’s complaint highlighted what it described as a persistent shortage of police personnel in Jeypore Town, Jeypore Sadar and Women police stations. Referring to Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) data, he claimed Odisha’s police-to-population ratio (between 80 and 133 personnel per lakh) remains below the national average and the United Nations-recommended benchmark of 222 per one lakh.According to the petition, the shortage of personnel and lack of modern infrastructure have implications not only for policing but also for human rights. It alleged that inadequate housing facilities, poor living conditions and excessive workload affect the dignity and welfare of police personnel, while insufficient investigative resources compromise citizens’ access to effective and timely investigation.The complaint further contended that inadequate police strength in Jeypore, a major urban centre of Koraput district, has left residents vulnerable to crime and weakened delivery of policing services. It also alleged that the state failed to establish adequate welfare mechanisms and improve working conditions in line with Supreme Court directives on police reforms.Seeking intervention, Patro urged the NHRC to direct the chief secretary and director general of police to furnish details of sanctioned and actual manpower in the three police stations, take steps to fill vacancies and conduct an inquiry into police housing and infrastructure across Koraput district.
