Raipur
The Chhattisgarh government has introduced the Police Commissionerate System in Raipur, leading to a significant administrative reshuffle. Sanjeev Shukla, a senior IPS officer, has taken charge as the first Police Commissioner of Raipur. Prior to this appointment, Shukla served as the Inspector General (IG), Bilaspur Range.
Under the new system, the district has been divided into two administrative jurisdictions. While Sanjeev Shukla heads the Urban Commissionerate, Shweta Srivastava Sinha has been appointed as the Superintendent of Police (SP), Raipur Rural. Amit Tukaram Kamble (IPS-2009) has been transferred from Kanker to serve as the Additional Commissioner of Police, Raipur Urban.
Major reshuffle in police hierarchy
The state government has transferred several senior IPS officers as part of this transition:
- Dr Lal Umed Singh: Former Raipur SSP, posted to Jashpur
- Shashimohan Singh: Jashpur SSP, transferred to Raigarh
- Ramgopal Garg (IPS-2007): Moved from Durg Range to take over as IG, Bilaspur Range
- Abhishek Shandilya (IPS-2007): Transferred from Rajnandgaon Range to serve as IG, Durg Range
- Balaji Rao Somawar (IPS-2007): Previously handling Law and Order at Police Headquarters, now IG, Rajnandgaon Range
A total of 24 other police officers have also been reassigned in this exercise.
Implementation of Bhopal–Indore Model
The Commissionerate System, effective from 23 January 2026, covers 21 police stations under the Commissioner’s jurisdiction, while the remaining 12 police stations remain under the SP’s control. This system follows the Bhopal–Indore model.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai approved the proposal following recommendations from Home Minister Vijay Sharma. Although there were initial reports of administrative disagreements over partial implementation, the cabinet eventually approved the current structure.
Resource and manpower concerns
The decision to split the district into two separate policing structures has drawn internal scrutiny. Departmental officials pointed out that managing dual administrative setups requires additional manpower and resources, which are currently limited.
At present, Raipur Police is facing a staff shortage. While an average police station requires around 75 personnel, the existing strength is only 30 to 35 personnel. Experts estimate that over 7,500 police personnel are required to effectively manage the dual-policing system.
Concerns have also been raised over jurisdictional demarcation. Officials noted that including industrial areas like Urla under the Commissionerate, while keeping several panchayat areas under rural policing, may create operational challenges. A committee led by ADG Pradip Gupta had earlier recommended a unified policing system for the entire district based on population and crime rate, citing the Bhubaneswar model, but the proposal was not implemented.
