Odisha Chief Minister Highlights Law and Order Improvements and Crime Reduction
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi declared on Wednesday that the law and order situation in Odisha has shown marked improvement, with a notable decline in serious crimes—including offenses against women—and a substantial rise in conviction rates. Replying to the budget discussion for the home department, Majhi emphasized that communal harmony is being effectively maintained across the state.
Proactive Measures and Intelligence Successes
Timely intelligence and proactive police actions have successfully prevented major law-and-order incidents, according to the Chief Minister. He detailed that continuous aggressive operations have enabled the Odisha police to achieve unprecedented success against CPI (Maoist) activities. Specifically, police forces have eliminated 27 Maoists, including two central committee members, while 77 individuals, including three state committee members, have surrendered.
Crime Statistics Show Significant Declines
On crimes against women, Majhi provided comprehensive data comparing two 18-month periods. From July 1, 2024, to December 31, 2025, a total of 48,789 cases of crimes against women were registered, which is identical to the number recorded in the previous 18 months from January 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. However, detailed analysis reveals substantial reductions in specific crime categories during the review period:
- Rape cases decreased by 3.5%
- Misconduct cases fell by 2.2%
- Public disrobing incidents dropped by 26.8%
- Acid attacks were reduced by 73.3%
- Dowry-related murders declined by 26.1%
- Dowry harassment cases decreased by 8.3%
- Non-dowry harassment cases fell by 1.6%
Similarly, other heinous crimes also showed significant improvements:
- Murder cases decreased by 7.4%
- Dacoity incidents dropped by 12.8%
- Robbery cases were reduced by 34.4%
- Riots declined by 25.7%
Conviction Rates Show Dramatic Improvement
Majhi highlighted a remarkable turnaround in conviction rates for violence against women. The conviction rate, which stood at 9.2% in 2022, dropped to 6.7% in 2023, making it the lowest in the country at that time. However, significant progress has been achieved since then. In the first six months of 2025, the conviction rate rose sharply to 41%, and by June of that year, it increased further to 62%. The Chief Minister claimed this rate is now among the highest in the country.
Budget Allocation for Home Department
In conjunction with these announcements, Chief Minister Majhi presented an estimated budget of Rs 10,786.69 crore for the home department. This allocation is intended to support ongoing law enforcement efforts, enhance police capabilities, and sustain the positive trends in crime reduction and public safety across Odisha.
