Odisha Police Association plea to CM to uphold rank dignity

Serious resentment is visible as personnel from Odisha Armed Police Service are being posted in supervisory positions.

BHUBANESWAR: Serious resentment is brewing in Odisha Police Association (OPA) as personnel from Odisha Armed Police Service (OAPS) are being posted in supervisory positions of the members of Odisha Police Service (OPS).

The OPA, umbrella body of the state cadre officers, has appealed to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to intervene and set right the irregularities in such postings by the State Police top brass.The OAPS cadre officers are not senior to members of OPS but the State Police Headquarters is illegally compelling the latter to work under their supervision in different law and order duties giving the former the status of seniors, the association said.

“Such an act of authority given to OAPS hampers the dignity of Inspector rank officers. It is also violative of the service conditions,” the association stated in a memorandum. As per the service conditions, a directly recruited Sub-Inspector (SI) is first promoted to the rank of Inspector and then inducted into OPS cadre.

The SIs are recruited through Odisha Staff Selection Commission on basis of top positions in the merit list while candidates placed below them are appointed as Sergeants and Deputy Subedars in the armed cadre of the State Police, president of Odisha Police Association Satyajit Mishra said.

“It is an irony that candidates who are placed below SIs in the merit list, after completion of 20 years of service, not only supersede them, but also draw more salary and command them at various duty posts,” he added.

The association said there is a clear notification that OAPS members must not be allowed to use OPS badges. Though OPS and OAPS are uniformed services, there is distinct separation in nomenclature so that the shoulder badges are different and the OPSC had suggested that Odisha Police Service (Armed) should be renamed as OAPS which was accepted and a gazetted notification was brought out.

Using OPS badges in uniform without approval of government is an offence but is being blatantly practised and OAPS members have been given senior and supervisory positions of OPS officers at Rath Yatra in Puri and Durga Puja and Kali Puja in Cuttack, it added.

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