Bhubaneswar, November 11: With Director General of Police (DGP) Sunil Kumar Bansal’s two-year term set to end on December 31, the Odisha Government has sent a proposal containing the names of seven IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to select the next head of the State police force.
For the first time, the top three contenders for the post of Odisha police’s top cop include a woman IPS officer.
The seven IPS officers are Arun Ray of 1988 batch, B Radhika, AM Prasad and SM Narvane of 1989 batch, Arun Sarangi, Sudhansu Sarangi and YB Khurania of 1990 batch.
1990 batch officer Y B Khurania and 1989 batch officers AM Prasad and B Radhika are said to be front-runners for the post of DGP.
While the incumbent DGP Bansal, the seniormost cop in Odisha cadre, is the only officer left from the 1987 batch, next to him in the seniority list are Manoj Chhabra and Arun Ray, both of 1988 batch.
While Chhabra is set to retire this month, Ray is unlikely to be chosen as DGP as he was recently posted as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of the Home Department, which is considered an insignificant posting.
There are only four officers of 1989 batch. They are Pranabindu Acharya, A M Prasad, B Radhika and S M Narvane.
If the eligibility criteria for appointment of DGP is taken into consideration, Acharya may miss the bus as his retirement is due on May 31 next year. As per the rules, officers who have a minimum of six months of service left before retirement are eligible for empanelment by the UPSC for selection to the top post.
Like Ray, Narvane is most likely to be ignored by the Government as he was recently given the insignificant posting of OSD in the Home Department.
Radhika was recently sent back to Odisha after completion of her Central deputation. She was serving as Additional DG of SSB, New Delhi. She was the first female IPS officer in the Odisha cadre to hold the post.
