J&K cops to go through screening to stay in job

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir authorities on Sunday asked for screening of all Special Police Officers (SPOs) absorbed in the State police department during the past six years period.

The official sources said that the move is aimed at clearing out the deadwood and also to show door to those SPOs who were not eligible but succeeded in getting jobs through manoeuvring.  

The decision has been taken in the backdrop of reports that many people were picked up for the SPOs jobs after succumbing to political pressures during two successive governments and in many cases even money exchanged hands. Also, there have been a few incidents in which the SPOs deserted their units only to join militant ranks.

According to an order issued by the J&K home department, official committees for screening of SPOs engaged during the past six years 6 years will be constituted at district level.

Each such committee will be headed by the concerned Deputy Commissioner with concerned district SSP and Deputy Superintendent of Police (CID-Special Branch) as members.

“These committees shall assess and screen the SPOs engaged during the past six years, with regard to their selection, antecedents and performance,” the order said. It added that the committees will submit their report to the Home Department and the Director General Police within one month.

As per the order, the DGP will take the requisite steps “to weed out the unsuitable and undeserving SPOs on the recommendations of these committees and furnish the actions taken report within two weeks, thereafter.”

An SPO in J&K is appointed to assist the police department in counterinsurgency operations, intelligence gathering, maintenance of law and order and guarding of vital installations.

The number of SPOs sanctioned for militancy-infested J&K by the Centre is 35,474. Out of these, 25,474 posts were approved earlier and additional ten thousand in 2016. Presently, there are over 3,000 vacancies of SPOs available in the state. Union home minister, Rajnath Singh, had during a recent visit to the State announced that 2,000 such vacancies will be filled from amongst the youth residing in the border areas of the state. Subsequently, the home ministry asked the state authorities to make such appoints from among the candidates living in the areas of zero to ten kilometres from the Line of Control and International Border in the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipote, Samba, Kathua, Jammu, Kargil and Leh, 200 from each.

The SPOs had recently petitioned Governor, N.N. Vohra to seek an end to what they complained was “worst kind of discrimination” meted out to them. They had demanded that their services should be regularised and their salary enhanced.

According to their petition, a J&K police constable is paid Rs 24,000 to Rs 26,000 salary whereas an SPO “who works shoulder to shoulder with J&K police’ gets only Rs 6,000 a month.