BHUBANESWAR: Additional DG (law and order) Sanjay Kumar, in a stringent warning to police, has asked them not to engage in non-policing duties in mining and industrial areas of Odisha.
“It has come to the notice of the State Police Headquarters that certain field officers are involved in activities not related to policing duties, especially in transportation and other unauthorised operations in mining and industrial zones,” Kumar stated in the letter addressed to the SPs and DCPs.
The DGP has expressed his grave concern over the issue and emphasised that such actions fall outside the scope of police responsibilities. Any continued involvement or favouritism in such matters will be dealt with seriously, the letter issued on Tuesday further stated. It also instructed the field officers to take cognisance of the directive and strictly comply with it.
“Police headquarters noticed that field officers were approached for various issues like labour, transportation and land disputes in mining and industrial areas. It is not police’s job to look into such issues and the affected parties should approach courts, tehsildars or labour commissioner’s office,” said Kumar.
If field officers get involved in such issues, then the core policing duties will get affected. Police should only step in when a criminal offence is reported to them, he said.
While the letter raised suspicion of some field officers possibly making wrongful gains by engaging in non-policing duties in mining and industrial areas of the state, senior officers at the police headquarters said it was just a ‘routine advisory’ and denied about any quid pro quo between the cops and the mining lessees.