ABOUT ORISSA POLICE
[3]. In 1964, after a serious communal riot in Rourkela followed by state-wide students’ agitation, a new police district namely Rourkela was created and a new range namely Western Range consisting of Sundargarh , Keonjhar and Rourkela police districts was carved out of the Northern Range.
 
For proper intelligence work the post of DIG, Intelligence was created with effect from 14.05.1964 by taking out the special branch from the control of the DIG, CID and Railways.
 
For better supervision and coordination over the vastly expanded signals establishment in the state, the post of DIG, Technical was created w.e.f. 17.12.1971.
 
In order to ensure better policing of the state capital a new police district namely Bhubaneswar police district was formed w.e.f. 1.4.1975.
 
In 1979, a state-wide agitation was launched by the Havildars and Constables of Orissa Police under the leadership of Latifur Rahaman which subsided after a brief turmoil.
 
In 1981, Cuttack district was divided into two districts viz:- Cuttack Rural and Cuttack Sadar from administrative point of view. In 1984 a new police range namely South-Western range was formed having its Hqrs. at Sunabeda, carving it out of the Southern Range, Berhampur. In the same year a new police district was formed at Berhampur, carving it out of Ganjam district. The following year another range namely Central range, with its Hqrs. at Cuttack, was carved out of the southern range.
 
In 1992, 4 new districts namely Gajapati, Rayagada, Malkangiri and Nawarangapur were formed Subsequently in 1993, 9 more districts namely Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Khurda, Bhadrak, Nuapada, Angul and Sonepur were formed. Again in 1994 3 new districts namely Boudh, Jharsuguda and Deogarh were formed.,thus increasing the number of districts to 32. (32 Police districts against 30 Revenue districts) .
 
After enactment of the Orissa Military Police Act (Orissa Act VII of 1946) the Orissa Military Police was formed on 1 st March, 1946. Soon after its creation this force had to handle serious situations in places like Bhadrak, Ib, Barang, Rampur, Cuttack etc. Due to strenuous nature of work of the military police and need for more personnel its strength was increased w.e.f. 1 st March, 1947. The strenth was further increased with the formation of a Gurkha Military Police unit. On 1 st March 1948, after merger of feudatory States in the Province of Orissa,there was a re-organisation of the police organization and the 2 nd Battalion of Orissa Military police was established. This Battalion had both Gurkha and Oriya companies. While the Bn. Headquarters was at Dhenkanal, two detachment camps of this battalion were functioning at Nayagarh and Jharsuguda. Subsequently, other Battalions came up at different places of the State. At present, there are altogether 8 Battalions and one India Reserve Battalion.
 
The name “Orissa Military Police” remained in vogue till 1980 .consequent upon enactment of the Orissa Military Police (Amendment) Act 1980, the name “Orissa Military Police’’ was changed to “Special Armed Police”. The headquarters of the SAP is at state Police Hqrs, Cuttack and it is under the general control and direction of the Director General and Inspector General of Police.
 

[4]. Annual central grant known as “Modernisation grant “ was made available to all the states by the Centre from 1969-70 onwards. Under this scheme Orissa Police received funds to purchase wireless equipments, motor vehicles, scientific and technical equipments etc for modernization of the Orissa Police. A full-fledged forensic science laboratory was established at Bhubaneswar under the control of DIG, CID, providing serological, chemical and other expert- examination facilities within the state.

 
[5]. Home-guards organization, as an auxiliary force, was set up in Orissa in the year 1962. In 1973 the post of Deputy Commandant General, Home-guards and Fire Service was sanctioned. However, in 1978 the Fire service and Home guards organization was taken out of the control of Police organization and started functioning independently under the Commandant General, Home-guards and Inspector General, Fire Service under the Home Department. The status of the head of the department was up-graded to the rank of Director General in 1985.
 
[6]. Since its inception the Orissa Police has successfully handled major Law and Order situations and ensured safety of its citizen and security of public properties.. In the fourth decade of the twentieth century the colonial police tackled a number of law and order problems arising out of nationalist movements. After the independence in 1947, there was a lull as nationalist movements subsided. However, the state witnessed palpable tension during the visit of the State Re-organisation Committee in 1955. Recommendations of the State Re-organisation Committee generated tension and frustrations resulting in large-scale demonstrations and law and order situations in January, 1956. ‘Sima Andolon’ (Border agitation) in Sareikela and Kharasuan opposing its merger with Bihar spread in different parts of the state with large scale demonstrations taking place at a number of places. In the ensuing law and order situation there was a police firing at Puri in which 3 persons lost their lives. Establishment of Paradeep port in 1956, Hirakud Dam in 1960-61 and Tikarpada Dam in 1962-63 brought in its wake, law and order situations, on issues relating to resettlement of evacuees etc. Another landmark on the law and order scenario was a large-scale communal riot in and around Rourkela in 1964. An students’ agitation gripped the entire state during 1964. Another statewide students’ agitation shook the entire state in 1969. In 1980, a students’ agitation on some local issues started in Sambalpur, which subsequently turned into an agitation against a particular business community and spread in almost all the districts of western Orissa. In 1990, after declaration of acceptance of recommendations of the Mandal Commission by the Central Govt., agitations started in many parts of the country including Orissa. The agitation spread almost in the entire state and police had to use all the resources at its command to contain the same. Police had to resort to firing in Cuttack and use force, though of lesser magnitude, in many other places. In 1991 there was a serious communal riot at Bhadrak in which a number of lives were lost. The riot spread to Soro, another small town located nearby. However, the communal riots were firmly controlled in both the towns. Thereafter, no major law and order situation of state-wide dimension has been witnessed in the state.
 
[7]. In the 1980s, left wing extremism raised its hydrahead after a gap of about a decade in certain parts of southern districts of Orissa, namely, Koraput, and Ganjam. After the division of Koraput district into 4 districts viz:- Koraput, Rayagada, Malkanagiri and Nowrangpur district and division of Ganjam district into Ganjam and Gajapati districts, the left wing extremism was noticed taking an ascendance in the districts of Malkangiri, Rayagada, and Gajapati. In later part of 1990s the left wing extremism also spread to the districts of Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar and Sundargarh located in the Northern Orissa.
 
[8]. Orissa Police has kept pace with others in modernisation by procuring latest gadgets and arms and ammunition, in building up infrastructure and upgrading the skill of its personnel by providing latest training.