Bhubaneswar: In a sudden move, the Odisha government Wednesday has removed director general of police(DGP) BK Sharma and appointed the director, National Police Academy, Hyderabad, Abhay as the new DGP of the State.
Sharma, the director general of fires service, home guard and civil defense who was additional in charge of the DGP was removed following allegation that fire safety licenses were not issued in time.
The chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, has ordered a probe into the matter relating to non-compliance of government instructions by the director of fire service and circumstances under which applications for the fire safety recommendation and certification have been kept pending for long period. A committee has been formed taking chief secretary Asit Tripathy, development commissioner Suresh Mohapatra and home principal secretary Sanjiv Chopra to inquiry into the matter.
The government order reads, ” Where as it is reported that huge pendency of applications for issuance of fire safety recommendations and certificate in the Directorate of Fire Service. This has caused immense inconvenience not only to the general public but also to business, industry, educational and medical establishments.”
The DGP in-charge BK Sharma has been shifted as officer on special duty (OSD) in home department.
Satyajit Mohanty, a 1988-batch IPS officer, will remain in charge of DGP till Abhay takes over. Mohanty, the special director general prison now has been posted as special director general intelligence.
The director general intelligence, Sunil Roy, 1987-batch IPS officer, has been posted as director general fire service, home guard and civil defense.
Abhay, a 1986- batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre, has served the state ad director CID and director intelligence. He has also served as chief of Narcotics Control Bureau at the Centre before joining as director National Police Academy.
