Bhubaneswar: Senior police officials from five eastern states on Tuesday resolved to strengthen inter-state coordination to tackle organised crime, Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and emerging security threats at the Eastern Regional Police Coordination Committee (ERPCC) meeting held in Bhubaneswar.
The high-level meeting, organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, was chaired by Odisha Director General of Police (DGP) Yogesh Bahadur Khurania. It was attended by the Directors General of Police of Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, along with senior officers from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Central Police Organisations (CPOs) and other participating states.
Welcoming the delegates, DGP Khurania thanked the Ministry of Home Affairs for entrusting Odisha Police with the responsibility of hosting the regional coordination forum. He said such collaborative platforms play a vital role in strengthening operational synergy, fostering mutual trust and reinforcing the country’s internal security architecture.
In his inaugural address, Khurania said challenges such as organised crime, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and Left-Wing Extremism transcend state boundaries and require a coordinated, technology-driven and intelligence-led response.
He stressed that no state can effectively address these threats in isolation and called for continuous intelligence sharing, seamless exchange of information, adoption of advanced technology and closer inter-state cooperation to counter increasingly sophisticated criminal and extremist networks.
The day-long meeting focused on a range of strategic security issues, including monitoring and rehabilitation of surrendered Left-Wing Extremists, coordinated measures to curb inter-state narcotics trafficking, strengthening cooperation to combat cybercrime through real-time intelligence sharing, expediting the transfer and investigation of Zero FIRs, enhancing railway security and developing a unified strategy to tackle illegal infiltration.
The participating states also discussed measures to intensify joint operations against inter-state criminal networks, improve policing in border areas and promote technology-enabled, intelligence-based policing.
The member states unanimously agreed to institutionalise regular ERPCC meetings to review progress, exchange best practices, address emerging security concerns and further strengthen operational coordination among participating states and central agencies.
Concluding the meeting, DGP Khurania expressed confidence that the decisions and recommendations emerging from the deliberations would enhance inter-state cooperation, strengthen law enforcement capabilities and provide a robust framework for addressing complex security challenges across eastern India.
Among those present were DGP, CID-Crime Branch, Vinaytosh Mishra; Director, Intelligence, R.P. Koche; ADGP (ANO) Sanjeeb Panda; ADGP (Railways and Coastal Security) Arun Bothra; ADGP (Headquarters) Prateek Mohanty, besides senior officers from the participating states, CAPFs, CPOs and other central agencies.
