Bhubaneswar, July 8 -- Odisha Police is grappling with a significant manpower shortage, with nearly 26,000 posts currently lying vacant across the department, Director General of Police (DGP) Y. B. Khurania said on Wednesday.

Highlighting the staffing challenges, the DGP stated that the existing police strength is inadequate when measured against the state's growing population. He also noted that Odisha has fewer police personnel compared to several other states, making it difficult to maintain the desired police-to-population ratio.

To address the issue, the Odisha government has initiated measures to expand the force. According to the DGP, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has recently approved the creation of 17,000 new posts in the ...