Raipur, July 23: The Chhattisgarh government has decided to ease recruitment rules for constables in Bastar in order to absorb special police officers, who are part of a counter-Maoist vigilante force the Supreme Court has forbidden from operating.
On July 5, the apex court barred the Raman Singh government from arming tribals to fight the Maoists and pulled up the Centre for looking the other way as the state raised a private militia.
The Chhattisgarh cabinet decided on Friday to relax rules on educational qualifications and height requirements for the SPOs.
The decision to relax the rules will make it easier for the government to recruit the SPOs as regulars in the police. Close to 6,000 constable-level posts are vacant in Bastar, by one estimate.
The state cabinet, which is pressing for a review petition against the apex court judgment, has decided that SPOs wanting to join the police have to pass Class V. The rule so far was that general-category applicants must pass the Class X board exam and SC and ST job seekers Class VIII.
The cabinet has reduced the minimum height requirement from 168cm to 163cm for the general category and from 153cm to 150cm for SC/STs. The relaxation of rules will be valid for three years.
For those who make it into the force, it means a regular job, better pay and brandishing of firearms legally. The Supreme Court had told the state government to recall the arms issued to the vigilantes.
In one stroke, the BJP government has placated the worried SPOs, who feared Maoist retribution, and circumvented an apex court judgment.
The move reflects the government’s intention not to distance the 5000-odd local fighters. The rule relaxation is applicable only in Bastar.
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