BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Monday introduced the Odisha Police Bill 2015 which proposes a fixed tenure of at least two years for Director General of Police (DGP) and other key police functionaries.
“The proposed legislation aims at redefining the role of police, their duties and responsibilities taking into account the emerging challenges of policing and security of the State,” said Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh who introduced the Bill on behalf of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Bill seeks to consolidate the provisions of the Police Act, 1861 and Odisha State Armed Police Act, 1946 in a single legislation for better police administration in the State.
The Bill not only proposes autonomy through security of tenure but also aims at streamlining appointment and transfer processes.
As per the Bill, the State would be divided into several police ranges and each range will be divided into police districts that will be distinct from revenue districts. Each district will be divided into police sub-divisions with specified number of police stations.
The State Government also proposed to separate criminal investigation from the routine policing job. A criminal investigation unit may be created in all police stations in urban and rural areas which are considered as crime prone.
The police officers posted to such units will not be ordinarily diverted to any other duty, except under special circumstances with the permission of the Inspector General of the Criminal Investigation Organisation to be created under the new law.
The Bill also proposes creation of armed police units by forming Armed Police Reserve for each police district as well as in the State-level. The district armed police should be deployed to deal with emergent law and order problem or any violent situation in the district.
It also proposes establishment of a State Police Security Commission to aid and advise the Government in discharge of function under the Act and frame policy guidelines for promoting an efficient, effective, responsive and accountable policing. The commission will be headed by the Chief Minister.
The Bill provides for creation of a State Police Complaint Authority at the State-level to look into complaints of grave misconduct against police officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police and above.
The Bill proposes to set up a Police Establishment Board with DGP as chairperson and four others as members.
At the range and district levels, similar boards will be formed to look after transfer and posting of police personnel.
Proposed Law
■ The Bill seeks to consolidate provisions of Police Act, 1861 and Odisha State Armed Police Act, 1946 in a single legislation
■ State would be divided into several police ranges and each range will be divided into police districts
■ Govt proposed to separate criminal investigation from the routine policing job
■ It proposes establishment of a State Police Security Commission to aid and advise the Govt