1600 SPOs to be inducted, sops for meritorious students

SPOs to be attached to PSs in valley

IMPHAL, Jan 12 : In addition to the appointment of 300 Special Police Officers for Heirok, the SPF Cabinet which met today has decided to recruit more such Police Officers and to detail them at all the police stations in the valley districts to help in maintaining law and order. The SPOs in Heirok were appointed after the people of the area demanded that they be given the opportunity to defend themselves after the Yaoshang incident last year. The decision to recruit more SPOs and attach them to the police stations in the four valley districts was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Ibobi at his office today at 9 am.Accordingly, the Cabinet has decided to recruit 1600 more SPOs in addition to the existing 300 SPOs for Heirok. Out of the proposed 1600 SPOs, the Union Home Ministry had already sanctioned 1350 posts, said an official source. The Cabinet today decided to propose to the Ministry of Home Affairs to increase the sanctioned posts to 1600 (250 posts for Lilong), said the source further. The decision to increase the number of SPOs was taken under the assumption that the new recruits would know the people in their localities who have joined unlawful organisations. This will go a long way in curbing the activities of outlawed organisations, opined the Cabinet. Other important decisions adopted by the Cabinet pertain to the Education Department, said the source.After minute discussion, the Cabinet agreed that from the 2009-2010 session the first 30 toppers in the HSLC examination would be gran-ted a merit scholarship of Rs 6 thousand each per annum while Rs 12 thousand merit scholarship each will be extended to the first 300 toppers in the HSSLC examination. The merit scholarship will be extended to the HSLC toppers for two years while it will be for three years in case of the HSSLC toppers. The Cabinet also discussed the possibility of extending one time financial assistance to students who excel in the HSLC examination. After minutely discussing the matter, the Cabinet decided to give a one time financial assistance of Rs 5000 to students who score above 75 pc in the HSLC examination and Rs 3000 to students who secure between 60 pc and 75 pc. However not the whole amount will be handed over to the students concerned as Rs 1000 each will be given to the school management and the teachers. In effect, students scoring above 75 pc will receive Rs 3000 and students scoring between 60 pc and 75 pc will receive Rs 1000 each, added the source.The amount deducted for the school management will be used to upgrade the infrastructure of the schools concerned while the amount deducted for the teachers concerned will be utilised further to produce meritorious students. The Cabinet has also given the green signal to upgrade some schools located in the hill districts. The schools include, upgrading the Somdal High School, Ukhrul to Higher Secondary School, Henbung Junior High School located at Saitu AC to High School, Phungkhothang Junior High School in CCpur to High School and Kwakta Junior High School to High School. Under the Public-Private Partnership pattern, the Cabinet discussed the possibility of handing over the charge of imparting skill development training to the Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Service IL and FS.The scheme envisages imparting training to 5000 youths between the age of 15 and 30 and the training will be imparted in two phases wherein 2500 trainees will be given training in each phase. The training will be a one year course. The scheme will entail a total cost of Rs 4.2 crores and to implement it, the Education Department has been entrusted with the task of drawing up a Memorandum of Understanding with the said company. Other than this the Cabinet also deliberated on rationalising the posting and transfer of teachers in view of the presence of schools where there are teachers but no students and schools where there are students but no teachers. The possibility of closing some of the schools permanently and clubbing together some schools was also discussed. The Cabinet decided to start this exercise from Zone 1 in Imphal West. Once this is implemented in Zone 1 then the same exercise will be extended to other zones. The Cabinet also gave the nod to hold the viva voce for the recruitment of 1075 primary teachers, 83 Hindi graduate teachers and to recruit another 65 primary teachers. The written test for recruiting the 1075 primary teachers and 83 Hindi graduate teachers have already been held. Other than this the Cabinet also agreed to recommend to the MPSC to hold the DPC to recruit 28 more Higher Secondary teachers. This is in addition to the earlier recommendation to the MPSC to recruit 84 Higher Secondary teachers. It was also agreed to set up Special Category English Medium Government School from Class 6 to 10 in all the hill districts. Sportspersons who bagged gold medals in the 31, 32 and 33 National Games will also be provided Govt jobs, the Cabinet decided today. However it is still not clear in which Dept they will be absorbed. Police commandos who took part in the Langathel encounter with militants on December 8 will be given cash prize of Rs 5 lakhs, it was agreed. The Cabinet has also decided to propose to the Union Ministry of Shipping and Surface Transport to hand over all the work entrusted to the BRO to the State PWD as no satisfactory progress has been seen in the work of the BRO.