In what is being termed a high-stakes political and administrative breakthrough, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has ended a 25-year impasse by announcing the Police Commissionerate system for Raipur-an implementation no former CM could deliver. The declaration, made on the Independence Day dais during the Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav, is being hailed as a decisive move to modernise urban policing in Raipur. Investigations by The Hitavada reveal that preparations for this transition began nearly a year ago in complete secrecy. Senior sources in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed that CM Sai had tasked the Home Department post-mid-2024 with drafting a new policing framework for Raipur.

 

“The CM was clear-no premature leak, only precise execution,” said one official closely involved. A critical player in this closed-loop planning was Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who also handles the Home portfolio. Sharma, insiders confirmed, was among the few trusted with every detail from inception to execution. “Deputy CM Sharma’s act of seconding CM Sai’s Police Commissionerate move in Raipur not only underscored the unparalleled political synergy between them but also affirmed how the goal of transparent governance can be achieved as a team,” said a senior IPS officer on condition of anonymity. This time, the plan came from the top. The draft-crafted under the guidance of then DGP Ashok Juneja and incumbent Chief Secretary Amitabh Jain-was deliberately kept off digital systems. “Only a handful of officials were briefed verbally. It was need-to-know,” a PHQ insider disclosed. The Commissionerate model-already in force across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha-had long stalled in Chhattisgarh due to IAS resistance. Proposals moved during the Bhupesh Baghel regime, including by then Home Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu at the behest of some senior IPS officers, failed to gain traction. “What was missing earlier was political will. That’s no longer the case,” said a Home Department official. The blueprint proposes appointing an IG-ranked officer as Police Commissioner of Raipur, leading a force of Additional, Deputy, and Assistant Commissioners (DIG to Addl SP rank).

 

The Commissionerate will exercise delegated magisterial powers under CrPC-typically handled by District Magistrates. Implementation, however, will require either an Act passed in the Chhattisgarh Assembly, similar to Odisha, or an executive order by the state cabinet, officials clarified. In either case, the rollout may take a minimum of four months to a full year, depending on procedural pace and legislative scheduling. The jurisdiction will remain confined to Raipur district limits, functioning independently of Raipur Range with enhanced autonomy and resource capacity. “This model is designed to break dual reporting deadlocks and empower fast-response policing,” a senior PHQ officer stated. To finalise its structure, the government is studying Commissionerate models from Nagpur, Bhopal, and Bhubaneswar. “We’ll adapt best practices but build a Chhattisgarh-specific framework,” a Home Department official said. A senior IPS officer involved with the proposal added, “The CM has issued clear directives-this rollout must be legally robust, administratively sound, and institutionally seamless. There will be no shortcuts.”