Odisha Police has tightened security across the state ahead of a political bandh on October 8, with forces being deployed at highways, railway stations and other sensitive locations to protect public movement and prevent violence or forced closures.
The preparations were reviewed during a high-level video conference held at State Police Headquarters on the evening of October 7 under Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra. The meeting focused on maintaining public safety, ensuring uninterrupted movement and protecting government and private property during the statewide bandh.
Mishra instructed district Superintendents of Police to obtain real-time inputs from every police station and maintain continuous watch over local conditions. Officers were directed to identify likely protest sites in advance and put preventive arrangements in place before crowds gather.
Adequate police forces are to be positioned along state highways, national highways, railway stations and other locations assessed as sensitive. The arrangements also include intensified patrolling and naka checking, as well as tighter intelligence coordination between local police units and senior officers.
The police leadership set clear restrictions for the bandh. Violence, vandalism, forcible closure of shops and markets, and obstruction of ordinary traffic or public movement will not be permitted, according to the report of the meeting. Anyone violating these restrictions is to face immediate legal action.
Local police have also been asked to maintain close contact with residents in sensitive areas. The stated objective is to identify emerging tensions early and prevent minor incidents from escalating. The instructions place police stations and district-level officers at the centre of both preventive deployment and local communication during the bandh.
The review included senior officers from the State Police Headquarters and field formations. Those who joined the conference included Additional DGP (SAP) Rajesh Kumar, DIG (Personnel) Yugal Kishore Kumar Banoth, DIG (Crime Branch) Madkar Sandeep Sampad, SP (Crime Branch) Vivekananda Sharma, AIGP (Law & Order) Prabhashankar Nayak, Additional DGP (Railways & Coastal Security) Arun Bothra, range IGs and DIGs, all district SPs, the DCPs of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, and the SRPs of Cuttack and Rourkela.
The deployment plan covers both public infrastructure and everyday urban activity. Railway stations and major roads are key points in the arrangements because disruption at these locations can affect commuters, freight movement and access between towns and cities. The police instructions also specifically seek to prevent forced market closures and traffic obstruction, issues that can directly affect residents and businesses during a bandh.
The DGP stressed that peace and a secure environment must be maintained through coordinated action at every level. District police units are expected to continue monitoring conditions, coordinate intelligence inputs and implement preventive measures before the bandh begins on October 8.
