Cuttack/Jajpur,20/08(PPT): Odisha Police has launched “Operation Anweshan”, a special inter-State drive aimed at tracing children from Odisha who are missing, vulnerable, exploited, or residing in institutional care in other States. The initiative is focused on strengthening inter-State coordination and undertaking systematic field-level efforts for identification, tracing, verification and appropriate restoration of children from Odisha.
The special drive is being conducted under the direction of Shri Vinaytosh Mishra, IPS, Director General of Police, Odisha, and will be supervised and closely monitored by Dr. Satyajit Naik, IPS, IGP, Central Range, Cuttack. The IGP, Central Range, will regularly review the progress of the operation, monitor the field-level activities and outcomes, and facilitate necessary coordination with the concerned district police units and authorities of the destination States.
As part of the first phase of Operation Anweshan, two dedicated teams of Central Range will undertake field operations in New Delhi and Rajasthan from 28 August 2026 to 8 September 2026. The teams will work in close coordination with the Crime Against Women & Children (CAW & CW) Wing, Odisha Police, as well as the concerned police, child protection and administrative authorities of the destination States.
For the New Delhi operation, Team A, led by a DSP-rank officer, has been constituted with police personnel from Kendrapara, Cuttack, Khordha and Nayagarh districts. Similarly, Team B, led by a DSP-rank officer, will operate in Rajasthan with personnel drawn from Jajpur, Nayagarh, Khordha and IAHTU, Puri. The members of both teams have been properly briefed regarding the objectives, operational methodology, responsibilities and expected outcomes of the special drive.
During the field operation, the teams will undertake verification of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) in coordination with the concerned District Child Protection Officers (DCPOs), Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) and other competent authorities. Relevant records will be examined to identify children belonging to Odisha and to ascertain their status and circumstances, wherever required.
The teams will also examine relevant information available through the Mission Vatsalya Portal to identify and verify children from Odisha who may be residing in institutional care in the destination States. Necessary coordination and follow-up will be undertaken for their safe restoration to their families or appropriate rehabilitation, as per established procedures and applicable laws.
As part of the community outreach component of the operation, the teams will coordinate with Odia associations and community representatives in New Delhi and Rajasthan to obtain useful information and actionable inputs regarding missing or vulnerable children from Odisha. Such community-level coordination is expected to supplement police efforts in identifying children who may otherwise remain difficult to trace.
The teams will further undertake verification of labour sites in coordination with Labour Officers and DCPOs to identify children who may be engaged in vulnerable or prohibited forms of labour. Field visits to labour colonies will also be conducted in coordination with IAHTU officers and other concerned agencies, with particular focus on identifying children who may be vulnerable to exploitation, trafficking or other forms of abuse.
A structured mechanism has been put in place for daily collection and compilation of information and field-level data generated during the operation. The Team Leaders will coordinate with the CAW & CW Wing for necessary follow-up and will ensure that actionable information emerging during the drive is communicated to the concerned authorities for timely intervention.
The IGP, Central Range, Dr. Satyajit Naik, IPS, will closely monitor the progress of the two teams throughout the operation. Regular reviews will be undertaken to assess the number of children traced, the status of verification, follow-up action and coordination with the concerned authorities. Wherever necessary, additional directions and inter-State coordination will be facilitated to ensure effective implementation of the drive.
All district police units under Central Range have been directed to extend full cooperation and necessary support to the teams. The district units have also been instructed to brief the teams about relevant missing-child cases, available background information and other actionable inputs that may assist in tracing children during the operation.
The primary objective of “Operation Anweshan” is to strengthen coordinated efforts for tracing children from Odisha who are missing, vulnerable, exploited or otherwise in need of care and protection outside the State. The initiative also seeks to strengthen inter-State police coordination, improve information sharing and ensure timely intervention in cases involving vulnerable children.
The operation reflects the commitment of Odisha Police towards child protection, prevention of trafficking, inter-State coordination and safeguarding the rights, safety and dignity of children. Under the direction of DGP Odisha Shri Vinaytosh Mishra, IPS, and the supervision and monitoring of IGP, Central Range, Dr. Satyajit Naik, IPS, focused efforts are being undertaken to pursue every possible lead and ensure appropriate assistance and protection to children traced during the drive.
Odisha Police is committed to ensuring that no vulnerable child from Odisha remains untraced and that every possible effort is made for their safe restoration and rehabilitation in accordance with law.