Bhubaneswar: With Odisha witnessing a rapid expansion of mining, industrial and infrastructure activities, the state police have urged the govt to expedite recruitment for three battalions of Odisha Industrial Security Force (OISF).Police officials say the prolonged delay in making the units operational is putting additional pressure on the existing police force diverted for industrial and regional airport security. The OISF was raised in Jan 2014, broadly on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), with the aim of providing specialised security to industrial and other critical installations in the state. The force currently has only one battalion, comprising around 1,390 personnel, who were recruited in April 2016.The home department on April 19, 2025, notified the sanction of 972 posts in various ranks for the creation of the second OISF battalion. The personnel were proposed to be deployed at govt industrial entities under the directorate of minor minerals, state public sector undertakings and the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), regional airports among other establishments.Subsequently, on July 22, 2025, the state govt notified the creation of two additional OISF battalions, involving another 1,944 personnel in different ranks. With these two notifications, the govt effectively provided for creation of three additional battalions with a combined sanctioned strength of 2,916 personnel.However, police sources said the recruitment process has not made significant progress since the notifications were issued. Police officials said the delay has become a matter of concern because several establishments that were expected to receive dedicated OISF protection continue to depend on personnel drawn from existing armed police units.The state police headquarters has recently approached the home department to fast-track the recruitment and appointment process for the three sanctioned battalions. “The govt is aware of the matter. The Odisha Uniformed Services Staff Selection Commission is expected to initiate the recruitment process soon,” a senior govt officer said.Notably, a sizeable number of personnel from the special armed police and India Reserve battalions are currently being deployed at industrial establishments, govt-run mines, regional airports at Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Jeypore and Utkela and other strategic installations that require dedicated security arrangements.“Odisha’s industrial and mining footprint has expanded considerably over the years, and the security requirements of these establishments have increased correspondingly. There is an immediate need to make the sanctioned OISF battalions operational so that trained personnel can be deployed at industrial and other vulnerable installations,” a senior police officer said.Unlike conventional police deployment, OISF personnel are intended to undergo specialised training to deal with the security requirements of industrial establishments, including access control, perimeter security, protection of critical infrastructure, emergency response and other security-related responsibilities.
