SPOs to be elevated as constables

BHUBANESWAR: Special Police Officers (SPO) appointed in Orissa would be recruited as constables after completing three years of service, for which amendments in recruitment rules would be made, Chief Secretary B K Patnaik announced here on Wednesday.“The State Government will bring in necessary amendments to streamline the services of SPOs. The aim is to make them permanent in the police,” he said.On the recent Supreme Court direction for disarming the SPOs appointed in neighbouring Chhattishgarh, Patnaik said that the method of recruitment and engagement of SPOs in Orissa is different from other states. SPOs in Orissa do not directly fight with the Maoists as in other states.The State Government initially appointed tribal youths as SPOs to give them an opportunity to remain in the mainstream instead of joining the Maoist brigade, he said. Altogether 4,500 youths have so far been appointed SPOs in the State and the Government is not adverse to recruiting more under the scheme, he added.