Odisha Police Brings 14 Citizen Services to WhatsApp: Full List, Number and How to Apply
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Odisha Police has moved a set of routine services onto WhatsApp. Instead of standing in a queue at the police station, you can now start many of these requests from your phone through the state’s Ama Sathi WhatsApp chatbot. This guide covers the complete list of 14 services, the WhatsApp number reported by the media, how to apply, how long each service is supposed to take under the Odisha Right to Public Services Act, and the points most news reports skipped.
Quick Summary
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| What launched | 14 Odisha Police citizen services on WhatsApp |
| Platform | Ama Sathi, the Odisha government’s unified WhatsApp chatbot |
| WhatsApp number (as reported by news outlets) | 9437292000 |
| How to start | Save the number and send “Hi” |
| Launched by | DGP Binaytosh Mishra (spelled Vinaytosh in some reports), at the DGP Camp Office, Bhubaneswar |
| Launch date | Friday, 11 September 2026 |
| Built by | CMGI, State Crime Records Bureau, Odisha Police and Meta India |
| Fees and processing times on WhatsApp | Not announced in any report we checked |
What Is the Ama Sathi WhatsApp Chatbot?
Ama Sathi means “our companion” in Odia. It is a single WhatsApp chatbot where citizens can reach government services without hunting through different portals. According to the National Informatics Centre (NIC), it was developed by the Centre for Modernizing Government Initiative (CMGI) together with Meta, and it covers 150 plus citizen services. It works in Odia and English and supports voice interaction. NIC Odisha handles the data exchange through APIs so that requests can be processed securely.
News reports say Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi launched the chatbot on 25 December 2025, which is Good Governance Day. The police services are the latest addition to it.
The 14 Odisha Police Services Now on WhatsApp
Here is the list as reported on launch day, along with the legal time limit that applies to each service under the Odisha Right to Public Services Act (ORTPSA). The time limits come from the Home Department’s own consolidated ORTPSA notification, so they are the official deadlines for the service itself.
| No. | Service | ORTPSA time limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Character certificate (listed officially as Character/Antecedent Verification) | 30 days |
| 2 | Senior citizen registration | 30 days |
| 3 | Employee verification | 30 days |
| 4 | Reporting lost property or documents | 7 days |
| 5 | NOC for loudspeaker use | 10 days |
| 6 | Tenant or PG verification | 30 days |
| 7 | Lost property registration | 7 days |
| 8 | Missing person information and registration | 7 days |
| 9 | Complaint registration | 1 day |
| 10 | Domestic help verification | 30 days |
| 11 | Permission for events and processions | 10 days |
| 12 | Permission for dharna or protest | 10 days |
| 13 | Copy of FIR | 1 day |
| 14 | Final form in road accident, stolen vehicle and theft cases | 5 days |
A few honest notes on this table:
- Different news sites group the services slightly differently. Some count lost property reporting and registration as one item and split events from demonstrations. Almost every report ends up at 14, and the list above follows the most complete version.
- The Home Department document lists the loudspeaker NOC only for the Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Commissionerates. If you live elsewhere, check with your local police station before assuming the same rule applies.
- The time limits above are from a 2022 consolidated notification. The department has amended its service list before, so treat them as the baseline and confirm on the ORTPSA portal (ortpsa.odisha.gov.in/services.php).
- No report says how fast the WhatsApp route will be. The ORTPSA limit is the deadline the department has to meet either way.
How to Use Odisha Police Services on WhatsApp
- Save the number. Save 9437292000 in your phone contacts. This is the number every major outlet reported for the Ama Sathi bot.
- Send “Hi”. The chatbot replies with a menu.
- Choose your language. Odia and English are supported.
- Select the police service you need from the list.
- Enter your details and upload documents. Keep your ID proof and any supporting papers ready as photos or PDFs.
- Note the reference number. The bot gives you an application number once you submit.
- Track your status. Message the bot again with your reference number to see where the request stands.
- Collect the document. For services where a digital document is issued, such as an FIR copy, the approved file can come back to you on WhatsApp.
Your application is forwarded to the concerned police office or authority, so a human officer still reviews it. The chatbot replaces the trip to submit the request, not the verification itself.
What Changes for You
- Fewer police station visits. A tenant verification or an FIR copy no longer needs a half day off work.
- Useful for senior citizens and families. Registration and complaint requests can be started from home.
- Better for landlords and employers. Tenant, PG, employee and domestic help verification are some of the most common police requests, and they can now begin on WhatsApp.
- Transparency. A reference number means you are not left wondering whether your request was received.
- Event organisers. Permission for events, processions and protests can be requested through the same chat.
Is This Safe? Read This Before You Use It
Anytime a new government number goes viral, fake numbers follow. Keep these points in mind:
- I could not find the 9437292000 number printed on an official .gov.in page. The NIC and Odisha government pages describe Ama Sathi but do not list the number. The number is consistent across all the news reports reviewed, which is why it is shown here. Cross check it on the Odisha Police website (odishapolice.gov.in) or at your nearest police station before sharing sensitive documents.
- No report mentions any fee for these services. Do not pay anyone who contacts you claiming to speed up your application.
- Only use the chat you started yourself. Do not click links sent by strangers claiming to be the police.
Services You Can Still Get on the Odisha Police Citizen Portal
WhatsApp is an additional route, not the only one. Odisha Police also runs an official Citizen Portal for police related services, and the state’s Seva Setu Kendra network is another place to get government services in person. If WhatsApp is not convenient, the portal remains available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Odisha Police WhatsApp number?
News outlets report the number as 9437292000. Save it, send “Hi” and follow the menu. Confirm it with an official police source before uploading personal documents.
Which police services are available on WhatsApp in Odisha?
Fourteen services: character certificate, senior citizen registration, employee verification, lost property or document reporting, loudspeaker NOC, tenant or PG verification, lost property registration, missing person registration, complaint registration, domestic help verification, event permission, protest permission, FIR copy, and final forms for road accident, stolen vehicle and theft cases.
Can I get an FIR copy on WhatsApp in Odisha?
Yes, FIR copy is one of the 14 services. Under ORTPSA the police are expected to provide it to the complainant within 1 day. Where the digital document is available, it can be delivered on WhatsApp.
How long does character verification take?
The ORTPSA time limit for Character/Antecedent Verification is 30 days.
Is the service free?
No report we checked mentions a fee, and none says the service is free either. Check the details inside the chatbot before you submit.
Can people outside Odisha use it?
The services are meant for Odisha residents and cases handled by Odisha Police. The reports do not describe any restriction by location for using the chat itself, but the request goes to the relevant Odisha police office.
Do I still need to visit the police station?
For many routine requests, no. The police may still contact you if they need more information.
Who built the Ama Sathi chatbot?
CMGI developed it with Meta (WhatsApp). The State Crime Records Bureau handled the technical integration of the police services, and NIC Odisha supports the secure data exchange.
More Odisha Police and Government Updates
If you follow Odisha Police news, you may also want to read about the Police Commissionerate Bhubaneswar Cuttack SPO recruitment. For other state and national announcements, browse our Central Govt Schemes section.
Final Word
Bringing 14 police services to WhatsApp is a practical step. The real test will be how quickly applications are processed and how reliably documents reach people on their phones. For now, the safest approach is simple: use the Ama Sathi chat that you start yourself, keep your reference number, and rely on official sources for anything that looks unusual.
