BHUBANESWAR: DG of Fire Services Bijay Kumar Sharma, one of the State’s top IPS officers, was on Wednesday appointed Director General of Police (DGP) In-Charge and Head of Police Force (HoPF) of Odisha.
A day after incumbent DGP Dr Rajendra Prasad Sharma has officially communicated his selection as a member of Odisha Lokayukta, the State Government issued a notification to this effect.
A 1986 batch IPS officer, Sharma will remain In-charge DGP till further orders. He was the longest-serving Police Commissioner of Bhubaneswar-Cuttack from May 2008 to May 2012 and headed Crime Branch for seven years as IG, Additional DG and Special DG.
A native of Mayurbhanj district, Sharma began his career as SP of Sundargarh, Phulbani and Sambalpur and served two terms as SP of Khurda. He served in the Central Bureau of Investigation for seven years during which he worked in three wings of the agency - Economic Offences, Special Crime and anti-corruption.
Having led the Police Commissionerate in early days, he played a key role in building the organisation, created new regulatory structure and court systems. He also created a new look traffic police that received appreciation.
Meanwhile, the State Government has initiated the process of appointment of full-term DGP. Since for the first time the selection for the post of the State police chief will be done in UPSC panel mode as directed by the Supreme Court, sources said, a list of officers has been sent to the UPSC for preparing a three-member panel on seniority basis. As per the apex court directive, the State would appoint one from the three.
Apart from Sharma, the State has three 1986-batch IPS officers including Abhay, Pradeep Kapur and M Nageswar Rao. All three are on Central deputation.