Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh to raise new armed police force

The Chhattisgarh government has approved a proposal to raise an auxiliary armed police force in the Naxal-affected state.

The Cabinet today approved the 'Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Ordinance 2011' and it has been sent to the Governor for his assent, Chief Minister Raman Singh told reporters in Raipur.

He said the new force is being raised keeping in mind Special Police Officers (SPOs), local tribals who are engaged in anti-Maoist operations.

Over 5,000 SPOs will be inducted into the unit, which will be assisting the security forces, Singh said.

The move comes a few weeks after the Supreme Court held as "unconstitutional" the appointment of adivasis as SPOs.

Home Department sources said the force is being set up to provide jobs to the SPOs. Service conditions, training and recruitment process have been finalised and personnel will be inducted soon, they said.

On July 5, the apex court ordered disbanding of SPOs and criticised the practice of deploying them in anti-Naxal campaigns like Salwa Judum launched by the state government.

The SPOs were being provided arms training and were used to help the police and paramilitary forces in entering the dense jungles of Bastar, a hot bed of Naxal activities. They were also being paid a monthly emolument of Rs2,000 by the state government.