Cuttack, March 26: The Odisha Police Association is adopting a wait-and-watch policy before going for a state-wide agitation to press for its 14-point charter of demands in the Odisha Police Service cadre.

Secretary of the state police association Jyotiranjan Samantaray told The Telegraph today: "We want to give the state government reasonable time to meet our demands. So, we have decided to wait till April 4."

The association represents about 6,300 police officers in the rank of inspectors, sub-inspectors and assistant sub-inspectors.

On March 1, the association had submitted the charter of demands to the chief secretary through the director general of police (DGP) issuing an ultimatum that if the state didn't look into the demands with 17 days, the association would go on an agitation.

"The DGP met us on March 20 and sought 15 days time. We will decide the future course of action on April 5," Samantaray said.

In July 1977, the state government had discontinued direct recruitment to the Odisha Police Service cadre as DSPs.

In 2011, the government revived the direct recruitment process through examination by the Odisha Public Service Commission.

The association has demanded to stop the direct recruitment in the DSP rank on the ground that it will scotch their promotion to that rank.

"The government has filled up more than 60 posts of DSPs without considering filling up the posts through promotions. If the process continues it will culminate to stagnation of promotion of the police officers recruited in the rank of sub inspector," Samantaray said.

Though the police manual says a sub inspector should be promoted to the rank of inspector after seven years of service and DSP after 12 years, but in the present circumstances, it is taking nearly 25 years to be promoted to that rank," Samantaray further said.