Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir government engaged 10,758 special police officers (SPOs) in the state during the last two years, the state legislature was told on Wednesday.
“Of these, 8,992 were engaged in the Valley and 1,457 were engaged in the Jammu region,” Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, who retains the Home portfolio, told the assembly in a written reply.
The highest number of SPOs – 1,392 – were engaged in Kupwara district, 1,377 in Baramulla and 1,275 SPOs in Srinagar district.
In the south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam, 2,556 SPOs were engaged.
Giving the breakup of SPOs engaged in Jammu region, the Chief Minister said that 385 were engaged in Jammu district, 270 in Rajouri, 185 in Udhampur, 142 in Doda, 136 in Reasi, 115 in Ramban, 64 in Kathua, 58 in Samba, 52 in Poonch and 50 in Kishtwar district.
In addition to these, 309 SPOs were engaged in CID, security and other wings of the state.
SPOs are engaged in militancy-prone areas to fight militancy and also to deplete the recruiting grounds of the militants.
The SPOs are paid a fixed monthly amount and normally weapons are not issued to them.
IANS