Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi chaired a high-level meeting at Lok Seva Bhawan to review the state’s law and order situation, emphasising measures to ensure public safety and security.
The meeting focused on reinforcing police action to create a secure environment for citizens, with a particular emphasis on women’s safety, enhanced patrolling, and curbing illegal activities.
The Chief Minister directed the police to adopt all necessary measures to ensure the public feels safe, stressing a zero-tolerance policy towards crimes against women. He instructed police officials to remain in “action mode” and ensure regular monitoring by senior officers to enforce this policy effectively. “The safety of women is non-negotiable. The police must act swiftly and decisively,” CM Majhi stated.
To bolster public safety, the Chief Minister ordered stricter police patrolling, particularly around schools and colleges, to protect students. He also emphasised the need for better traffic management to ensure smoother and safer commuting across the state. Additionally, Majhi called for stringent measures to curb the smuggling of brown sugar from neighbouring states, highlighting the urgency of tackling drug-related issues.
A significant outcome of the meeting was the decision to establish a dedicated Police Recruitment Board to expedite the filling of vacant police posts, aiming to strengthen the state’s law enforcement capabilities. The Chief Minister also reviewed ongoing efforts to rescue missing women and children, with the police reporting the successful rescue of 8,035 women and 3,306 girls over the past year.
The meeting noted that Odisha’s law and order situation remains largely under control, with a decline in crime rates over the past year compared to the last 15 years. The Chief Minister expressed satisfaction with the police’s efforts in tackling illegal arms trafficking, sand smuggling, and executing non-bailable warrants. However, he urged for more robust measures to curb illegal drug trade and ganja cultivation, calling for broader and stricter enforcement.
The meeting was attended by key officials, including the Chief Minister’s Advisor Prakash Mishra, Advocate General Pitambar Acharya, Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Satyabrata Sahu, Director General of Police Y.B. Khurania, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Saswat Mishra, and senior police officials.
