By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Secretary Suresh Mohapatra and sitting DGP Abhay is attending a meeting of Union Public Service Commission in New Delhi on Wednesday to pick up possible contender for the next Odisha Police Chief to be posted early next year. The incumbent 1986 batch IPS officer, Abhay is retiring from the post of DGP by end of this month.
Sources said, 3 IPS officers including Pradeep Kapur of 1986 batch, now in Central posting, Sunil Bansal , too also serving Central deputation and Santosh Upadhyay, now in State are in race for the post while Upadhyay is front runner considering his close proximity with ruling BJD.
Pradeep Kapur now serving as Advisor (Scientific), National Technical Research Organisation in New Delhi while Sunil Kumar Bansal of 1987 is serving as Special Director SIB,Mumbai since 19.10.2020, sources said adding Bansal is unlikely to come back to the parent cadre because his tenure in IB will continue till 2024. The front runner, Upadhyay, of 1988 batch , is now DG(Prisons and Correctional Services).
Meanwhile, another 1986 batch IPS officer, BK Sharma, now with Director, Printing Stationery & Publications,Odisha, in Cuttack, also a contender but he has not in good terms with State Government.
