Odishatv Bureau
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to create an Auxiliary Police Force to regularise the services of special police officers. "The government has decided to create an Auxiliary Police Force to accommodate SPOs who have completed three years in service," Chief Secretary B K Patnaik said.

During their recruitment, the state government had assured SPOs that they would be regularised after completion of three years of service.Of the 4,000 SPOs, 1,791 have completed three years in service, all of whom would be taken under APF and posted as constables at the entry level, Patnaik said.

The SPOs who now work in tribal-dominated and Maoist-hit areas now, could be posted in any district after becoming regular staff of the APF."They will work under the direct supervision of the superintendents of police in districts," the chief secretary said.

Stating that SPOs were helpful in tackling the Maoist menace, Odisha government maintained that they were not engaged in anti-ultra operations."They are engaged in gathering information on Maoist movements and activities," said a senior home department official.

"Based on information provided by certain SPOs, the police were successful in capturing some hardcore Maoists and recovering explosives and other arms," the official said.While the state government has sanctioned 5,600 posts of SPOs, only 4,000 were working, he said.

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