Jharkhand's Special Police Officers' recruitment stalled

The process of further recruitment of special police officers (SP’s) for rural areas for assisting the police forces of Jharkhand was stalled as a result of recent Supreme Court judgment on the plan of the Chhattisgarh government to engage tribal youths in counter insurgency operation.

Union home ministry in last June had sanctioned the Jharkhand government’s proposal on further recruitment of nearly 3,500 SPOs in rural areas to assist the state police forces in arresting criminal activities.

In the wake of SC’s recent judgment on Naxalism restraining the Chhattisgarh government and the Centre from appointing and arming tribals as special police officers, the Jharkhand government has adopted a wait-and-watch policy in the recruitment drive.

A senior IPS officer in Jharkhand said that Jharkhand had no problem in recruiting SPOs as the SC’s judgment was restricted only to Chhattisgarh where SPO’s were armed and engaged in anti-Naxal operations. When Jharkhand’s SPO’s were not deputed in any kind of anti-insurgency operation.

The officer said in Jharkhand, 3,000 SPO’s are already working in rural areas and they were being paid from the funds of Centre. The SC’s order on restraining the Centre from funding the states for payment of SPO’s for their services will have its impact in Jharkhand.

According to another source Union home ministry has sought the opinion of the chief ministers of Orissa and Jharkhand as to how to deal the matter in the wake of SC judgment.