Odisha police drive against forcible collection of 'chanda'

With allegations of forcible collection of puja 'chanda' from people pouring in, Odisha DGP has asked SPs and DCPs to take stringent action against those who collect donations forcefully.

State Director General of Police (DGP) R P Sharma in letters to the Superintendents of Police (SPs) and Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) instructed them to ensure regular patrolling on National Highways, State Highways and bus stands by Inspectors-in-Charge (IICs) so that no vehicles are waylaid for collection of puja donations from drivers.

The DGP said his office has received allegations that some elements have been forcibly collecting 'chanda' (donation) from individuals and drivers of commercial vehicles in the name of Ganesh Puja, Durga Puja and other festivals.

"The SPs and the DCPs shall make use of community policing and ask the beat officers to collect information about forcible chanda collection from the residents within their respective jurisdictions," the letter read.

The local police should encourage shopkeepers, traders and transporters to report instances of forcible chanda collection without fear and deal strictly with the anti-socials collecting money in the name of puja committees.

The police should collect information from senior citizens and engage volunteers and the members of the puja committees to collect information from them in a clandestine manner.

"If such cases are detected, stringent action must be taken against the culprits," the letter read.

The IICs should prepare a list of habitual 'chanda' collectors and apply preventive sections of law to curb their activities.

The DGP also said in the letter that the local police should take the bus and truck owners and the office-bearers of their associations into confidence for obtaining the names of the anti-socials and their activities.

Necessary liaison may be made with the office-bearers to get the real time, quick and actionable intelligence about the illegal activities related to forcible chanda collection, the letter read.