Cuttack, July 6: Sanjeev Marik took charge as the new director general of police (DGP) here on Sunday.

Odisha police will augment its resources to put a check on organised crimes and economic offences in the state, he said.

Marik said also that the state police had done a remarkable job in pursuing deposit collection scam vis-à-vis its counterparts of other states. “The economic offences wing will take proactive measures to ensure that such fraudulent companies are detected early and are not allowed to set up their business,” he said.

The 1981 batch IPS officer was appointed as the DGP on Saturday. Marik replaced Prakash Mishra, who has been posted as the chairman and managing director of Odisha State Road Transport Corporation.

Mishra is being tipped to go to the Centre as the special secretary (internal security).

In May, the state government had declined to spare Mishra for a deputation to the Centre stating that there was a shortage of IPS officers in the state. Marik was given a guard of honour at a special ceremony organised at the police headquarters here today.

Marik said that Odisha has emerged as a model state for combating Naxals and Left wing extremism successfully in the past two years.

He said: “The government has spent a lot in improving infrastructure in Naxal affected areas. The civil policing have been neglected to some extent. We will focus on bridging the gap to make policing at police station level more effective,” said Marik, adding that grievances of public would receive top priority of the Odisha police.