Orissa Govt to recruit 2,000 youths as SPOs

Smarting from the twin attacks in Malkangiri, the Orissa Government has decided to recruit 2,000 tribal youths from the Maoist-infested areas as Special Police Officers (SPOs) to combat the prolonged insurgency.

A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday night decided on the SPOs who will be given a monthly remuneration of Rs 4,500. The SPOs would assist security forces in south-western (Sunabeda), southern (Berhampur), western (Rourkela), northern (Sambalpur) and north-central (Talcher) Police ranges of Orissa. They would be trained by the local police but it is not yet decided whether they would be armed like their Chhattisgarh counterparts.

A senior police official said the SPOs from the tribal villages would help the state forces in conducting combing operations.

The meeting also decided to appoint 1,500 retired defence personnel in the various posts that were lying vacant.