Bhubaneswar, Sep 30: The Crime Branch today issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for storage of explosives, corrosive and highly inflammable materials in the malkhanas of police station.

The SOP was issued in the wake of explosion inside the Balanga Police station on Monday mid-night.

As per the SOP explosive materials, corrosive substances, highly inflammable materials should not be kept ordinarily in the malkahana of police stations. “In the extreme cases, if it is necessary to keep those articles in the malkhana, the same shall be done only after due examination by Bomb Disposal Squad/other specialised agencies with necessary precautions,” read the SOP.

The SOP further said that such seized materials should be kept outside police station malkhana after taking necessary safety measures. “ In case it is not safe to keep such material at police station malkhana, then the assistance of bomb disposal squad& other specialised agencies be taken for diffusion / destruction of the same with due intimation to the jurisdictional court,” added the SOP.

Concerned SPs have been asked tp depute SDPOs and DSPs to visit all the malkhanas of their district by October 5 and take steps for the safety of the malkhanas.