Orissa tribals to take on Naxals

Hindustant Times, Oct 28, 2008

The Orissa government on Monday issued a notification for recruiting 2,000 Adivasi youths from five-Naxal infested districts to fight the insurgents.

Only candidates from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) will be recruited to these 2,000 posts of special police officers.

The Centre, sources in the home department said, had mooted the appointments. The state was also asked to bolster capacity to start combing operations soon after a Naxal strike, a senior official, who didn’t wish to be identified, said.

The recruitments will be done in Malkangiri, Koraput, Gajapati, Rayagada and Kalahandi districts. Each district will fill up 400 posts.

After selection, the candidates will enter into a contract with the district police. They’ll be paid a consolidated remuneration, which is yet to be fixed. “On completion of three years of satisfactory contractual service, the eligible special police officers may be absorbed on regular posts against ST vacancies of constables and sepoys or equivalent rank,” the notification said.

It has also stressed on verifying the antecedents of aspirants “with particular emphasis on any possible links with any extremist organization or outfit”.

"The recruitment process will be completed within two months,” home secretary T.K. Mishra said.

Apart from appointing tribal youths, the Orissa government has also requested the ministry of home affairs for of a counter-insurgency battalion for resolute action (COBRA). Each COBRA battalion will comprise commandoes specially trained in jungle warfare. Each battalion will have 1,000 commandoes in the same age group like the Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh.

While Andhra has raised Greyhounds to take on the Naxals, states like Orissa depend on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Orissa owes the Centre Rs 100 crore for its deployment.