BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday visited the exhibition on the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Exhibition Ground in Unit-III and announced an extension of the event for two more days till March 12 in view of public interest.
The exhibition, organised by Odisha Police, was originally scheduled to conclude on March 10. It was inaugurated on March 6 during the visit of Union Home minister Amit Shah.
While going around the exhibition stalls, the chief minister appreciated the efforts of the Home department and the state police in creating awareness among citizens about the new criminal laws.
Speaking to the media, the chief minister said the new criminal law framework reflects the commitment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure justice and security for citizens. Since the implementation of the BNS, the conviction rate in the state has increased by 87.6 per cent by the end of 2025. Improvement has been witnessed at every level of the criminal justice process, from investigation to trial, he said.
The chief minister further informed that the number of Zero FIRs registered in 2025 increased by 166 per cent, indicating improved accessibility of justice system for citizens.
He also pointed out that the state government is taking several measures to strengthen the policing capacity. Foundation stones have been laid for the establishment of the National Forensic Sciences University campus and a Central Forensic Science Laboratory in the state.
In addition, the state has signed an MoU with IIT-Bhubaneswar to train police personnel in modern technologies and another MoU with Rashtriya Raksha University to provide advanced skill training for the police force.