Bhubaneswar, Feb. 18: The exclusion of the leader of Opposition from the proposed State Security Commission has kicked off protest from rival parties.

The Odisha Police Bill, 2015, introduced in the Assembly on Monday, provides for the establishment of the State Security Commission to aid and advise the government ino discharging its functions and responsibilities.

It will also frame broad policy guidelines and identify performance indicators to evaluate the functioning of the state police.

The commission is to be headed by the chief minister. The state's director general of police (DGP) will be the member-secretary. Besides government functionaries, two reputed non-political persons from the fields of academia, law, public administration, media and social service will be nominated by the state government.

At least one woman member will also be nominated to the committee. However, the bill does not include the leader of Opposition as a member of the proposed commission.

The Supreme Court in 2006 had directed states to set up an autonomous body in the form of the State Security Commission to make the police force more effective as well as accountable.

The Model Police Act states that the leader of Opposition shall be a member. Strangely, this provision has not been included in the Odisha Police Bill 2015.

Taking serious exception to it, deputy leader of Congress, Chiranjib Biswal said the proposed commission should have the leader of Opposition as a member for the state's interest and for the sake of absolute neutrality. "The body will not be impartial, if the leader of Opposition is not there as a member," he said.

Echoing Biswal, BJP state president K.V. Singh Deo said: " It seems that the BJD government wants to delay the process of constituting the proposed commission. If the leader of Opposition is not there in the commission, it may be challenged in the court of law."

On the other hand, BJD spokesperson Amar Prasad Satpathy said the government is keeping all options open. "Any new provision can be incorporated in the bill,",he said.

The Odisha Police Bill also provides for the constitution of the Police Establishment Board with the deputy general of police as its chairperson. The board will decide transfers and postings of officers in the ranks of additional superintendents of police and deputy superintendents of police.

Besides, a police establishment board will be set up soon with the commissioner of police as its chairman. It will decide transfers and postings of all police officers up to the rank of additional deputy commissioners of police.

A state level committee will be constituted with the chief secretary as its chairman and home secretary and DGP as members to consider suitability and tenure of different officers of and above the rank of superintendent of police and up to the rank of additional director general of police.

With a view to make the police free from unnecessary political interference, and to make it professionally equipped, the state government has decided to make a fixed tenure of key police functionaries including the director general of police, superintendents of police and the in-charge of police stations to a minimum of two years.

However, an officer can be removed from his post by the state government before the expiry of his tenure on the grounds of proven inefficiency, negligence in duty, misconduct and serious lack of integrity.