Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi Monday approved the promotion of two 1994-batch IPS officers — Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa — to the rank of Director General, ahead of the selection of a new state police chief, official sources said.
A communication from the Chief Minister’s Office said, “Sanjeeb Panda and Yeshwant Kumar Jethwa have been promoted to the grade of DG of Police. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved the promotion proposal.”
The departmental promotion committee (DPC) had earlier recommended the names of the two officers, who are currently Additional Directors General (ADGs), for elevation to the DG rank, sources said.
The promotions are significant as incumbent police chief Y B Khurania is set to complete his full two-year tenure on August 16.
Panda is considered a frontrunner for the post of DGP, though senior-most 1990-batch officer Sudhanshu Sarangi, currently DG, Fire Services, and 1993-batch officer RP Koche, Director, Intelligence, are also in contention, sources said.
Panda currently heads anti-Naxal operations and his prospects have been strengthened by the Odisha Police’s success in meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s target of making India Naxal-free by March 2026, sources said.
Jethwa, Panda’s batchmate, is currently Director, Vigilance, and has played a key role in the state government’s anti-corruption drive, they said.
The state government is likely to forward a fresh panel of eligible officers to the UPSC for shortlisting three candidates for the post of DGP, sources said.
The panel is likely to include Panda and Jethwa along with Sarangi and Koche, they said.
Of the two newly promoted officers, Panda is senior to Jethwa in the inter-se seniority list.