Dada Bati Ku Naa’: Berhampur Police

Manoj Kanta Dash, Odishabarta

Editor-in-Chief

Elaborate Dussehra Security, Intensified Patrolling and CCTV Surveillance Planned; Questions Raised Over Baidyanathpur Police Station’s Ground-Level Performance

Berhampur, October 14, 2026: With Dussehra and the ensuing festive season approaching, Berhampur Police has announced elaborate security arrangements to ensure peaceful celebrations, prevent crime and maintain public order across the Silk City. Alongside intensified patrolling, CCTV surveillance and deployment of plainclothes personnel, the police have launched the “Dada Bati Ku Naa” (Say No to Extortion) initiative to combat threats and illegal demands for money by anti-social elements.

According to source Brahmapur police district administration has directed police officers to strengthen preventive policing, improve surveillance in crowded areas and take effective action against extortionists, habitual offenders and other troublemakers. However, questions remain over the implementation of these instructions at the ground level, particularly regarding alleged shortcomings in patrolling under Baidyanathpur Police Station.

Elaborate Security Arrangements for Dussehra

The police have planned increased deployment of personnel, including striking forces, to manage crowds at Durga Puja pandals and other busy locations. Officers have been instructed to monitor sensitive areas, use CCTV cameras to identify suspicious activities and deploy plainclothes personnel to detect chain-snatching and other street crimes.

Traffic management will remain a priority, with restrictions to be imposed wherever necessary to facilitate the smooth movement of people and vehicles. Police aid posts are being arranged at strategic locations, while PCR vans and motorcycle patrol units are expected to remain available for round-the-clock response.

Special squads will focus on anti-social activities, disturbances, illegal liquor sales and other offences during the festive period. Police personnel have also been directed to maintain vigilance around big business establishment  and conduct lawful checks when circumstances warrant suspicion.

A control room is intended to monitor CCTV feeds from crowded places and important junctions. These measures are aimed at strengthening surveillance and enabling a prompt response to incidents involving public safety.

‘Dada Bati Ku Naa’: Citizens Urged to Report Extortion

The anti-extortion campaign seeks to encourage citizens to report threats and demands for money without fear of retaliation. According to the police, previous action against extortionists has included the arrest of habitual offenders, with one such individual reportedly detained under the National Security Act (NSA).

Police officials acknowledge that victims often hesitate to approach law-enforcement agencies because they fear reprisals from those making the demands. The new initiative is intended to build public confidence, protect complainants’ identities to the extent legally and operationally possible, and ensure action against those responsible.

Further the source reveal that,The SP has appealed to citizens to cooperate with the police and report extortion attempts involving contractors, builders, businessmen, property owners, shopkeepers and other vulnerable groups. The police have also indicated that people whose credible information leads to action against extortionists may be rewarded.

Police stations have been instructed to intensify patrolling during crime-prone hours, particularly around liquor shops, roadside eateries, restaurants, lodges and other locations where criminal activities may occur.

Meetings with vulnerable groups are also proposed at police station and Additional SP levels.

The SP is expected to review the performance of police stations regularly, while the Additional SP will review action taken in extortion cases  Cyber Crime every interval.

A list of repeat offenders previously implicated in extortion-related cases is also proposed. Their activities will be monitored during the Dussehra, Kumar Purnima and Diwali period.

Depending on the evidence and applicable legal provisions, police may initiate preventive or other lawful proceedings, including action under the NSA where its statutory requirements are satisfied.

The police are also considering measures to strengthen prosecution in cases involving notorious offenders.

The authority has particularly highlighted reports of people selling land or houses   and those constructing new houses being targeted for illegal demands.

BAIDYANATHPUR POLICE STATION: STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE, QUESTIONS OVER LAZY PATROLLING (!!).

Here we would like to give a recall against a mishap which has become  National News,” Last  year  in absence of the house owner  miscreants entered in to the house breaking the grill from back search for valuable, failing which  the house was set a Blaze inside(!)  entire  costly house  hold AC,refrigerator , , bed, furniture   everything smash from night 2am till 5 am,  the fire continuing till fire service arrived, getting message SP visited the spot. From spot he promised to habitant a dedicated patrolling  vehicle  from evening  to the area of cource later when  verified factually a vehicle  provided  and function maximum for 15 days but today   the patrolling  has  became a dream once in a blue  moon (!)  Reason all have forgotten habitant, Police the abandoned condition house modernised”

While the citywide security plan signals a renewed emphasis on prevention, the functioning of Baidyanathpur Police Station deserves particular scrutiny because of the importance and diversity of the area under its jurisdiction.

The jurisdiction reportedly includes the residences of senior administrative and police officials,Dist,Judge,ADJ,SDJM,RDC,IGP,SP,SDM,Banks  judicial officers and other government functionaries, as well as the SP Vigilance residence, MKCG Medical College and Hospital, educational and technical institutions, ITI facilities, commercial areas, residential colonies and maximum  Print media,Electronic an d Digital media  offices.

The area also accommodates advocates, professors, retired IAS and IPS officers, senior citizens and other prominent residents. The medical campus, court surroundings, VIP Colony, Gajapati Nagar and developing residential complexes add to the station’s policing responsibilities.

Despite this strategic importance, concerns have been raised over the adequacy of routine patrolling and the utilisation of available police resources. Residents and sources familiar with the station’s functioning have alleged that the  dedicated PCR vehicle allocated also  to cover VIP Colony, Gajapati Nagar, the court area, the medical campus, peripheral locations and other vulnerable pockets has not been utilised as effectively as expected.

Sources have further alleged that patrolling activity has been affected by shortcomings in supervision and the functioning of the station.

 These claims require verification from the police administration, including the concerned IIC, before responsibility can be conclusively established.

The issue assumes significance in view of reports of several serious crimes, including murders, in the wider area over the past two to three years. The precise number, locations and case details would need to be confirmed from official police records.

The central question is whether the available police infrastructure is translating into visible street-level policing. Allocation of a PCR vehicle alone cannot guarantee public safety unless it is deployed regularly, its movements are monitored and officers respond promptly to emergencies.

The police administration should therefore examine PCR movement records, duty rosters, patrol logs, emergency-response records and the utilisation of personnel at Baidyanathpur Police Station. An objective review would help determine whether the reported shortcomings reflect resource constraints, supervisory lapses or other operational problems.

Public Safety Requires Accountability

The effectiveness of the Dada Bati Ku Naa campaign will ultimately depend on the willingness of victims to report extortion and the police’s ability to act promptly on complaints. Equally important is the visible presence of police personnel on streets, around vulnerable establishments and in residential areas during peak crime hours.

Citizens facing immediate danger or requiring police assistance can dial 112, the emergency response number. The availability of this service, however, must be supported by timely dispatch, effective coordination and accountable field-level policing.

As Berhampur prepares for the festive season, the challenge before the police is twofold: to provide secure and orderly celebrations and to demonstrate that announced security measures are being implemented consistently across the city.

The success of the campaign should be measured not merely by instructions issued or vehicles allotted, but by effective patrolling, action against extortion, timely response to complaints and a demonstrable improvement in public confidence.

#CMO,Odisha

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