The Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to impart crash course in police-related trades to Special Police Officers (SPOs) for absorbing them as constables in police department.
"In first of its kind major welfare initiative for about 35,000 SPOs working in the J&K police, government has decided to impart crash course ITI training in police-related trades to SPOs in all the district headquarters of state," an official spokesperson said.
The decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by state home minister Sajad Ahmad Kitchloo here yesterday.
"Only such SPOs who shall be ITI trained in police-related trades shall be eligible for conversion to constables," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said in the first phase, about 500 SPOs will be trained annually.
"The SPOs having certificates from Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) and National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) shall also be eligible for conversion," he added.
Kichloo told the police authorities concerned to explore all possible measures for the welfare of police personnel.
The SPOs were recruited in police force at the peak of trouble in the state and proved very effective in breaking the back of militancy due to their local knowledge and excellent intelligence network.
Many of the SPOs were former militants, who surrendered before the authorities and later helped them combat militancy.
However, as the situation in the state improved over the years, the future of these SPOs has become uncertain as they are not regular employees of the police force.
