DGP Umesh Mishra has been relieved after granting voluntary retirement on Friday. Utkal Ranjan Sahoo, a 1988 batch IPS, who is director general and commandant general home guards, has been given additional charge of DG police. He will hold the charge of DGP in addition to his duties till further orders.
Meanwhile, Umesh Mishra, whose two-year term as DGP was scheduled to complete on November 3, 2024, sought voluntary retirement almost a year ahead citing personal reasons.
According to sources, Mishra is set to get a good post-retirement job. Utkal Sahoo, the senior-most IPS officer in the cadre, a batch senior to Umesh Mishra, is set to retire in June 2024.
As of now, he has been given an additional charge of DGP. If the government has to give him a proper appointment, it has to send a recommendation immediately to UPSC as the DGP candidate should have at least 6 months of service left before retirement. The post of DGP is a fixed-term appointment of two years. If Utkal Sahoo is made proper DGP, he will get one and a half years of extra service.
Who is Utkal Ranjan Sahoo who replaces Umesh Mishra
Utkal Ranjan Sahoo is considered an upright and honest cop. During the previous Congress government, he had an insignificant posting; he spent almost all five years as in the Home Guard department. He, however, had served as district SP on eight occasions. He had also served as additional director general in CM intelligence and security when Vasundhara Raje was the chief minister. He had also served in the vigilance and police modernisation department.
Selection Procedure of DGP
The State government concerned has to send UPSC the names of the probables three months before the incumbent DGPs are to retire. The UPSC will prepare a panel of three officers fit to be DGP and send it back. The state, in turn, shall appoint one of the persons shortlisted by the UPSC
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