BHUBANESWAR: With the State Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (S4C) in Odisha operating without any sanctioned staff and dependent on personnel borrowed from the CID-Crime Branch, the police headquarters has urged the government to fill up the posts on priority.
Sources in the police headquarters reasoned that the current situation was unsustainable for round-the-clock responsibilities. The Home department had notified creation of S4C in August this year.
Initially, the scheme had envisaged 310 departmental posts which were to be filled in phases over four financial years, i.e., up to 30 per cent in 2026-2027, 60 pc in 2027-2028, 75 pc in 2028-2029 and 100 pc in 2029-2030. However, in the approved expenditure finance committee (EFC), it was scaled down to 100 posts.
Official sources said applying the earlier phasing schedule to the reduced figure would leave the centre with only 30 to 40 personnel in the first year, a strength they deemed inadequate to make the centre operational or sustain continuous functioning.
In view of the situation, ADG Modernisation SK Priyadarsi, in a letter to the additional chief secretary, Home department, has requested to sanction 100 posts in different categories from ADG-IG, SP, additional SP, inspector, sub-inspector, constable and others for S4C on a priority basis, and fill them up during 2026-2027 financial year itself.
The S4C has four components - Cyber Crime Headquarters (CC HQ), State Cyber Crime Operation Centre, Cyber Resource Centre and AI Predictive Policing and Data Analytics Centre (AIPPDAC). The centre is also responsible for operating the national cybercrime platforms such as NCRP, 1930 helpline, e-Zero FIR, SIM blocking, coordinating with national agencies and others.
While 124 outsourced technical experts have been provided to S4C to handle specialised technical works, core statutory policing functions like registration and investigation of offences, search, seizure, arrest, inter-state coordination, supervision of investigation and prosecution are being discharged by police officers spared from other units, leaving the centre without a dedicated sanctioned strength of its own, said the officials.
Sources in the police headquarters said they have also planned to submit another proposal to sanction separate manpower for S4C’s State Cyber Crime police station.