TN second home to finest cops and bureaucrats from Odisha

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

Tamil Nadu has nurtured finest cadre of bureaucrats and policemen from Orissa and many of them feel more at home in the state than at Orissa after serving here for a long term.

City police commissioner J K Tripathi feels he is more at home here after putting in service for 25 years in the state. “I have not been in my own place for not more than 10 to 15 years,” says the police officer.

Similarly, inspector general of police south zone Rajesh Das, who is an alumni of Sainik School, has a deep love for his state but at the same time has equal respect for the Tamil Nadu police cadre. “We have the finest cadre of police officers here,” he says.

Married to a Tamilian, Das says it is partly love and partly arranged marriage.He says there is a huge similarity between Tamil and Oriya cultures. He says most of the All India Services officers prefer to settle down in the state as they feel they belong to the parent cadre. “It might be the same with those officers from Tamil Nadu,” he opines.

He feels immense pride when talking about Oriya cadres of officers serving in the state. “They have earned their reputation by dint of hardwork,” says the officer, who has been nurtured with officer like qualities in school.

Similarly, K C Mahali, Salem police commissioner and a officer from 1989 police cadre says he enjoys working in the state. He says his family has absorbed Tamil culture at the same time  maintaining their Oriya culture. “My both sons speak Tamil and we celebrate Tamil festivals,’ says Mahali.

All India service officers from Orissa have been making their state proud not only in the police service but also in the bureaucracy. There are several officers from Oriya cadre who are serving in the top ranks of Tamil Nadu cadre. They include chief secretary of the state Debendranath Sarangi, revenue secretary Rameshram Mishra and managing director Tamil nadu Medical services Corporation limited Satyabrata Sahoo among others.