By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Amid speculation about a possible major reshuffle among IPS officers in Odisha by the BJP Government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and change of guard at the Police Headquarters’ in Cuttack, some believes incumbent DGP Arun Sarangi may be allowed to head the State Police for some more time.
After the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet send back Special DG (West) YB Khurania, a 1990 batch IPS officer to his state cadres of Odisha, with immediate effect, speculations were rife about change of DGP in the State.
However, analysis , says, Special DG (West) YB Khurania’s performances were not impressive at all which may put Odisha Government to rethink its plan to change the incumbent DGP Arun Sarangi and put a new face like Khurania in his place.
Along with Special DG (West) YB Khurania, Centre also removed BSF Director General (DG) and sent back him to home cadre of Kerala, sources said.
Media reports says, at least 22 people, including 11 security personnel and a village defence guard (VDG) member, have been killed this year in such incidents in Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Kathua and Doda districts.
Sources said Khurania is expected to be made the head of the police force or the director general of police (DGP) in Odisha where the new BJP government has just taken charge but it looks grim for some time now.
Khurania, as the special DG (West), was heading the formation of the force along the Pakistan border that runs for about 2,289 km along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat in India’s western flank. Interspersed with dense forests and mountainous terrain, the Jammu region accounts for 485 km of this border, where the IPS officer performed very poor considering the above mentioned facts and figures, sources argued.
Meanwhile , sources also argued that BJP has a very strong political base in western Odisha and tribal regions. Incumbent DGP Arun Sarangi belongs to Balangir, which hit headlines after BJP candidate Laxman Bag defeated Naveen Patnaik in the Kantabanji MLA seat in the district in the recently held Assembly polls.
Balangir always remain as a strong base for BJP. Apart from that, DGP Sarangi also shared a very close bonding with Balangir royal family and particularly with Deputy CM KV Singh Deo and MP Sangeeta Singh Deo. In this context, change of DGP in Odisha looks grim.
