The Odisha Urban Police Bill-2003 was introduced in our State Legislative Assembly on April 4, 2003. The Bill received the assent of the President on September 24, 2007 and became an Act.
According to the Act, the Odisha State Government established a Police Commissionerate under section 4 of the Odisha Urban Police Act, 2003 for the twin cities of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and their contiguous areas with effect from January 1, 2008.
Binay Kumar Behera was appointed the first Police Commissioner but after a few months, Bijaya Kumar Sharma was appointed as the second Police Commissioner. The real era of Police Commissionerate started in the period of BK Sharma. Many productive things were initiated by him, like the Police Commissionerate Red Cross and the beautiful Police Commissionerate Building, etc.
As per the organisational structure of Red Cross in our State, there is a State branch of Red Cross called Indian Red Cross Society, Odisha State Branch and in district level district branches are there. The Collectors are the chairman of their respective District Red Cross branches.
October 5, 2008 is the rememberable day for Indian Red Cross Society, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Regional Branch. On this date, the then Police Commissioner Bijaya Kumar Sharma called a meeting at Bhubaneswar DCP office and resolved to start a Regional Branch of Indian Red Cross Society. Henceforth, the Indian Red Cross Society, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Regional Branch started successfully which was for the first time in our country. Sharma is the first chairman of this branch.
Through the Red Cross branch we help the needy and serve the people. We make health camps, voluntary blood donation camps, as well as we provide financial help to the needy and the poor. We also organise various plantation programmes and have free ambulance services too.
In the period of Sharma, we also arranged many blood donation camps at Cuttack and Bhubaneswar which were accompanied by many Durga puja committees as well as various Shanti committees too.
Sunil Ray took over as the next Police Commissioner as well as chairman of Red Cross Regional Branch from Sharma. Cooperative nature of Ray also helped the Red Cross flourish in an extremely effective way, which also helped in smooth conducting of all the programmes.
After him Dr Rajendra Prasad Sharma took over as Police Commissioner and chairman of Red Cross. After one month of his joining, I got a chance to discuss with him about our regional branch. After listening to the activities of Red Cross, he immediately instructed his office to discuss with Bhubaneswar and Cuttack DCP and arranged two health camps in the same month one at Chauduar and other at Chandrasekharpur. From that month, Red Cross activities are smoothly going on.
In the period of Dr Sharma, he wanted to be more public friendly; so he organised different health camps at the time of police public meeting. Dr Sharma has a very positive attitude towards Red Cross. In his time, we have received the invitations of each and every programme held by the Police Commissionerate. Even when he was transferred to the State Vigilance, he never forgot the Red Cross team. As a result, we got invitations from the State Vigilance office too.
A book named 'Rememberable Days' written by me was also unveiled.
Then, YB Khurania became the Police Commissioner. In his time Red Cross activities also ran smoothly. Along with existing Red Cross activities in his time we conducted activities and awareness camps at Rahagiri and we initiated many small blood donation camps. As a result, our branch was able to organise 116 voluntary blood donation camps where 10,034 units of blood were collected through “Jeevan Alok” in a year.
In his time, on behalf of Regional Branch I went to Delhi and participated in the AGM of Indian Red Cross Society in New Delhi.
Satyajit Mohanty as Police Commissioner was too very supportive to Red Cross activities. Red Cross Regional Branch went one step ahead. There wasn’t a specific room for this branch. Mohanty allotted and inaugurated a room named “Red Cross Cell” at the Police Commissionarate Building for Red Cross on December 22, 2018. During Fani, we distributed dry food packets and water to the victims.
We are very proud to be the Executive Member of Indian Red Cross Society, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Regional Branch as along with all the smooth conduct of activities and giving respect to the life members, we regularly conduct the annual general meeting of members and as per their advice and suggestions we work throughout the year keeping the welfare and betterment of the people in our eyes.
During tenure of Dr Sudhanshu Sarangi, in his first Executive Committee Meeting he took the challenge to plant one lakh trees in Bhubaneswar city within July 2020 through Regional Red Cross Branch.
(The writer is an Executive Committee Member of Indian Red Cross Society, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack Regional Branch)