CUTTACK: The demand to discontinue the direct recruitment of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) is set to emerge as a major issue in the meeting the state government is scheduled to hold with the Odisha Police Association (OPA) on February 5.The OPA, which represents nearly 6,500 police officers in the rank of inspector, sub-inspector (SI) and assistant sub-inspector (ASI), has put forth the issue in a six-point charter of demands submitted to the chief minister through the director general of police (DGP).Direct recruitment to the Odisha Police Service-cadre as DSP was discontinued in 1977.After a gap of more than three decades, the state government decided to revive the direct recruitment process through examination by the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC).Subsequently, OPS-Group A (Junior Branch) was included in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Category-1 while OPSC invited applications for OCS examination from 2011.The revival of the direct recruitment of officers in the rank of DSP was strongly opposed by the OPA.The association wanted the government to discontinue the direct recruitment process on the grounds that it would further delay their promotion to that rank."The OPA persistently demanded discontinuance of the direct recruitment process, but the government went ahead with it and had since filled up more than 60 posts of DSPs without considering filling up vacant posts through promotion," an OPA member said.The government took the plea that direct recruitment was necessary for filling up the Indian Police Service (IPS)-cadre posts through promotion from the OPS-cadre."As the required number of OPS officers have already been recruited by the government to fill up future IPS post vacancies through promotion, hence the direct recruitment of DSP be stopped for at least five years till further vacancy," OPA president Satyajit Mishra said.The OPA members are worried as the continuation of the process will culminate in the stagnation of the promotional avenues of police officers who are recruited in the rank of sub-inspector.Though the police manual says a sub-inspector should be promoted to inspector after seven years and DSP after 12 years in the present circumstances, it's taking more than 20 years, OPA rued.The OPA has also demanded the abolition of contractual appointment of sub-inspectors directly, which the government had introduced recently. The association has made the demand on the grounds that the family members of a police personnel appointed on contractual system are deprived of ex gratia and other financial benefits in case of any mishap that results in his or her death.According to OPA, the representatives of the association have been assured of a discussion over their demands with the home secretary in the presence of finance secretary on February 5.The meeting assumes significance amid the association threatening to launch a statewide agitation by wearing black badges for three days starting from February 6 and then go on mass leave from February 9.

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