Raipur to Become Chhattisgarh’s First Police Commissionerate from Jan 23

Chhattisgarh’s policing system is set to witness a major structural shift with the introduction of the Police Commissionerate system in Raipur, marking the first such experiment in the state. The commissionerate system is scheduled to be implemented from January 23, though its final framework is yet to be formally notified.

According to official sources, the final blueprint of the commissionerate system will be approved on January 21, during a cabinet meeting chaired by Vishnu Deo Sai at the Secretariat in Nava Raipur. The decision is expected to receive cabinet approval on Wednesday.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Home Minister Vijay Sharma are currently on a visit to Delhi, where they are scheduled to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. During this meeting, the proposed commissionerate framework is likely to be discussed and finalised. Both leaders are expected to return to Raipur on Tuesday evening, following which the cabinet is expected to put its official seal on the proposal.

Proposed Structure

As per the information available so far, Raipur district will be divided into two policing units.

The urban areas falling under the Raipur Municipal Corporation and the Birgaon Municipal Corporation will come under the jurisdiction of the Police Commissioner. Meanwhile, Raipur Rural will be carved out as a separate police district, to be headed by a Superintendent of Police.

Under the commissionerate system, police officers are usually vested with several executive magistrate powers. However, as per the draft framework under consideration, the Police Commissioner in Raipur is likely to receive limited magistrate powers, restricted mainly to maintenance of law and order, imposition of Section 144, and passing preventive orders. Several other traditional magistrate powers are proposed to remain with the district collector.

Discontent Within IPS Lobby

The proposed model has reportedly triggered strong resentment within the IPS lobby. Senior police officers believe the framework has been shaped primarily by the IAS lobby, with an intent to keep the police leadership institutionally less powerful. IPS officers argue that a commissionerate system is effective only when the Police Commissioner is granted full magistrate powers.

The issue has gained prominence as Arun Dev Gautam, Acting Director General of Police, has been advocating for the commissionerate system in Raipur since assuming charge. It was following these efforts that Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai announced the introduction of the system during the August 15 state समारोह from the Raipur Police Lines. Observers had noted visible satisfaction on the face of Acting DGP Arun Dev Gautam during the announcement.

Subsequently, a committee headed by ADG Pradeep Gupta was constituted to study commissionerate systems in other states and submit recommendations. While the committee prepared a detailed report, sources suggest that the current draft framework does not fully align with the committee’s recommendations.

Debate Over Magistrate Powers

Under executive magistrate authority, powers typically include issuing arms licences, granting permissions related to petroleum and explosives, licensing cinema halls, authorising preventive detention under the NSA, regulating public gatherings, and taking action against anti-government or public order threats.

While in many commissionerates across the country these powers are transferred to the Police Commissioner, in Raipur, several of these—including arms licences, cinema hall licences, NSA action, and certain regulatory powers—are proposed to remain with the district administration, leading to delays in finalising the framework.

Rural SP Model Under Question

The proposal to create a separate Raipur Rural SP jurisdiction has also come under criticism. Police officers point out that similar models have failed in other states. In Uttar Pradesh, cities like Kanpur and Varanasi initially adopted a split model but later extended commissionerate status to the entire district. Prayagraj also functions as a full-district commissionerate.

As per current plans, Nava Raipur, Arang, Abhanpur, and Dharsiwa will fall under the rural police district. However, the police department has raised objections, arguing that Raipur district has already undergone multiple territorial divisions and is not geographically large enough to justify further bifurcation.

Senior officers contend that dividing Raipur into an urban commissionerate and a rural police district may weaken command efficiency rather than strengthen it, making the upcoming cabinet decision crucial for the future of policing in the state capital.

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