69th Police Duty Meet 2024 – Chief Minister Advises Police Force to Stay Ahead of Criminals
Bhubaneswar, 16/12/2024 – In today’s evolving scenario where criminals are adopting newer techniques, the police must stay one step ahead of them, said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi while addressing the police force during the inaugural ceremony of the 69th Police Duty Meet 2024 held in Cuttack. He emphasized that to effectively combat modern crimes, there is a critical need for modernization of the police force, reforms in policing systems, and the strengthening of police investigations through a robust foundation and well-trained human resources. Without proper preparation, a partially equipped police force would struggle to apprehend and prosecute criminals, he noted.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government is giving top priority to the modernization of the police department. In the coming days, the number of vehicles for police use will be increased across the state, thereby enhancing police patrolling, investigations, victim outreach, and the capacity to catch criminals. On this occasion, he also inaugurated the newly constructed buildings of Astaranga, Balanga, and Delang police stations in Puri district. He stated that to empower the police force, nearly 10,000 posts in the Home Department will be filled soon. Additionally, around 9,000 motorcycles will be supplied to police stations, with each station receiving up to six bikes. This initiative is supported by a special provision of ₹35 crore in the recently passed budget. The filling of home guard positions will also be ensured to support the police. A decision has been taken to fill about 5,000 combined vacant and new posts to strengthen the force further.
Addressing the growing challenge of cybercrime across the country, the Chief Minister said that many people are losing their hard-earned money to online frauds, digital arrests, investment scams, and various forms of cyber deception. This rising trend of cybercrime poses a serious threat, prompting the government to modernize and strengthen the cyber cells within the police department. Districts that currently lack cyber police stations will soon have them established. Furthermore, a state-level cyber crime division will be set up in Bhubaneswar for high-level investigation and monitoring of cyber offenses, which will be headed by a senior official.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the government’s zero-tolerance policy towards violence against women. Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to women’s safety, he expressed concern over Odisha’s previously disappointing conviction rates in cases of women-related crimes. He attributed this to unprofessional investigations and a lack of political will in earlier times. He emphasized that conviction rates must improve and move towards national averages. To this end, the government is setting up additional women’s courts, with decisions already made to establish such courts in four districts. The police must now conduct scientific and professional investigations and submit charge sheets to the court within stipulated timeframes backed by strong evidence.
He praised recent achievements by the state police in solving several blind cases, including the murder cases of Banaei and Kandarpur in Cuttack, which were resolved swiftly and efficiently. He called for similar effectiveness in all cases so that public trust in the police can be strengthened. The Chief Minister also mentioned that the country aims to eliminate Maoist and Naxalite violence by March 2026, and parts of Odisha have been included in this action plan. To tackle such violence, the police need to be equipped with advanced knowledge and skills, which he believed could be gained from such duty meets.
He urged the police to take strict action against those attempting to disturb societal peace and create fear in the public. The time has passed when such criminals could expect protection. Now, all action must be taken within the framework of the law but with firm resolve. He advised that crime branch teams must frequently conduct targeted operations against organized crimes such as narcotics trafficking, for which Odisha Police has already achieved significant success. He affirmed that the government stands firmly with the police force in all these efforts.
During the All India DGP/IG conference, the Central Government recognized Patapur Police Station in Ganjam district as the second-best police station in the country, for which the Chief Minister expressed his congratulations. He also extended his congratulations to all the winners who successfully participated in the Police Duty Meet and announced that they would represent Odisha in the All India Police Duty Meet to be held in Ranchi, Jharkhand in January. He offered his best wishes to the nominated team members and expressed his hope that the Odisha Police would continue to uphold its motto of “Service and Security” in both spirit and action.
On this occasion, Director General of Police Yogesh Bahadur Khurania delivered the welcome address and Additional Director General of Police, CID, and Crime Branch, Vinay Tosh Mishra, delivered the vote of thanks while shedding light on the achievements, initiatives, and direction of the Odisha Police.
