Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Cabinet on Friday approved a proposal to amend the Odisha State Prosecution Service (OSPS) Rules, 1997 to bring them in conformity with the provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which came into force on July 1, 2024.
The BNSS, 2023 mandates the establishment of a Directorate of Prosecution in every State and a District Directorate of Prosecution in each district. Section 20 of the new criminal law framework envisages a structured prosecution hierarchy headed by a Director of Prosecution at the State level, with Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors at the district level to ensure effective and coordinated prosecution services.
While Odisha already has a Directorate of Public Prosecutions functioning at the State level, the existing OSPS Rules, 1997 do not provide for the creation of District Directorates of Prosecution. This gap necessitated amendments to align the State’s prosecution framework with the new central legislation.
Accordingly, the State Government has decided to amend the OSPS Rules, 1997 to provide for District Directorates of Prosecution in every district. The move is aimed at strengthening the prosecution system, ensuring better supervision, and improving the efficiency of criminal justice delivery in the State.
The Cabinet’s approval paves the way for restructuring the prosecution machinery in Odisha in line with the BNSS, 2023, marking a significant step towards modernising and streamlining the State’s criminal justice administration.
