BMC reviews security after attack on officer

Bhubaneswar: Following the recent attack on BMC Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) convened a high-level meeting Wednesday to review security protocols and assess the situation. The meeting, held at the BMC office, was attended by BMC Mayor Sulochana Das, Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil, Twin City Police Commissioner S Debadatta Singh, representatives from Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), the security agency, and members of the civic body’s standing committee. The meeting primarily focused on evaluating the failure of surveillance systems, especially the malfunctioning of CCTV infrastructure. Officials reviewed existing lapses and discussed measures to prevent such incidents in the future. In the meeting, Singh said, “We are currently analysing the situation, and the investigation is ongoing. The attack on Sahoo took place during a grievance redressal meeting, when the public is allowed into the office.

In the meeting, we discussed security arrangements with the BMC Commissioner and are planning to deploy ex-servicemen, who will be given proper training.” Mayor Sulochana Das also raised concerns over the security arrangements at the civic body office and emphasised the need to strengthen them. “The building is currently maintained by Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL), and it’s their responsibility to ensure the surveillance system functions properly. The unavailability of CCTV footage from the incident was shocking. BSCL must act responsibly—or step down. We will enhance security at the BMC and shift surveillance responsibility directly to the civic body,” Das said.

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