Proposal to Bifurcate Central Range, Cuttack to create a new Nilanchal Range does not stand the test of administrative, operational and functional rationale and appears to be driven by Vested Interest to accommodate an Individual Officer rather than Public Interest

Central Range is a compact and cohesive unit:Central Range, Cuttack comprising 7 districts – Puri, Khordha , Nayagarh, Cuttack,Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur – forms a geographically contiguous and operationally integrated unit. The districts are inter-linked in terms of crime, law & order and movement of criminals. Bifurcation will break this organic linkage and create artificial administrative barriers.

 Political and Communal Sensitivity:This Range includes Khordha,Rural Cuttack, the Holy City (Puri) and highly sensitive communal and political hotspots.

– Puri district with Lord Jagannath Temple, Rath Yatra, Parikrama, and Kartik Brata manages 2-3 lakh floating population daily with formation of Shri Mandir Suraksha Vahini.

– Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur have long history of communal sensitivity, industrial agitations and political mobilizations.

Dividing the command during the upcoming festival season (Ganesh Puja, Durga Puja, Bali Yatra ,will severely affect coordinated L&O planning and response.

 Operational Efficiency will be compromised:Presently, there is one unified command over the entire coastal-central belt, enabling quick mobilization of force, resources and intelligence sharing across 7 districts. Creation of a new Range would require duplication of infrastructure, ministerial staff, Range office, reserve force and communication set-up, without any corresponding increase in efficiency. On the contrary, it will lead to conflict of jurisdiction, delay in decision making and dilution of accountability.

 No Administrative Justification:

– Workload norms: As per existing norms, a Range with 7 districts is well within manageable limits. Many Ranges in other states handle 8-10 districts.

– There is no recommendation from any Administrative Reforms Committee, Police Commission or Cadre Review to justify creation of a new Range in this area.

– Financial implication: Creation of new Range will entail recurring expenditure of crores towards office building, vehicles, staff, housing etc. at a time when we are struggling to provide basic infrastructure to Police Stations.

 Precedent and Morale:

Creating a Range to accommodate one officer will set a wrong precedent. It will lead to similar demands from other quarters and will affect the morale of the force, as transfers and postings will be perceived to be driven by individual convenience rather than organizational need.

 Alternative:If the objective is effective supervision, the same can be achieved by strengthening the existing Range structure by providing additional SP-rank staff officers, enhancing mobility and communication support , rather than dividing a historically and operationally cohesive Range.

In view of the above, it is strongly recommended that the proposal for bifurcation of Central Range, Cuttack and creation of Nilanchal Range may not be agreed to in public and organizational interest.