Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Prakash Mishra, who is also a known Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, has been playing an important role as an advisor to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
A 1977-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who retired in 2016 as the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), brings to the table years of experience as an administrator and a strategist who has handled sensitive assignments in the government in the past.
He had an illustrious career in Indian police services as he had also served as Director General of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), additional DG of National Investigation Agency, and Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry.
Law and order situation in Odisha had improved significantly during his stint as the chief of Odisha police from 2012 to 2014. Never one to compromise on the imperatives of his duty he had his differences with the then Naveen Patnaik government following which he was slapped with a vigilance (corruption) case. In 2019, he had joined the BJP to contest from the Cuttack Lok Sabha seat on the party’s ticket.
But his tenure saw significant improvement in the overall law and order situation in the state with marked decrease in Maoist activities. A fearless officer who inspired confidence among his juniors, he visited Maoist affected areas chalking out strategies to contain violence by the ultras.
A former IPS officer known for his efficient administrative style, Mishra has also published a book titled Comedy in Khakee: The Humorous Memoirs of a Policeman. The book is a collection of amusing anecdotes from his long and eventful career in the police service.
While Mishra’s appointment as advisor to the chief minister would help improve law and order situation in the state as he can offer tips to the police force and the administration drawing on his vast experience, it is also expected to help BJP consolidate its influence over the bureaucracy.
His appointment, which is now a few months old, is seen as a clever move by the Majhi government which is keen to use the experience of retired bureaucrats and police officers who can help it with their past experience in the field.
Besides, unlike many others, Mishra, despite his simple and down to earth attitude, has been a high profile police officer because of his achievements. His CV makes it clear that he was a police officer which was trusted not only by the state government but also the Centre to carry out important tasks.
Though not much experienced politically Mishra has gained some traction as a politician also with BJP always projecting him as one of its prize acquisitions. Given the party’s policy of drafting in people from various fields he suits its strategy of making an impact on the masses very well.
With his humble behaviour Mishra has impressed everyone not only in the BJP but also in his social interactions. It is widely expected that he will use his position as an advisor to the chief minister as a springboard to further his political career. This, political analysts believe, not only favours him but also those he is seeking to serve as a politician.
