Bhubaneswar, July 6: The Supreme Court ban on the recruitment of tribals as special police officers (SPOs) in neighbouring Chhattisgarh may have repercussions for Orissa where more than 5,000 of these volunteer-cum-policemen have been recruited in the last three years.

The apex court’s Tuesday order, which followed a petition by academic-cum-activist Nandini Sunder, made it clear tribal SPOs should not be used to control, counter, mitigate or otherwise eliminate Naxalite activities.

The court said it was unconstitutional to use SPOs for purposes other than maintaining traffic or as homeguards.

Though issued in the context of Salwa Judum, Chhattisgarh’s counter-insurgency operation, the order is likely to provoke a re-examination of the issue in Orissa where SPO recruitments began in 2008.

Sources said that the state government had so far recruited 5,600 SPOs in the Maoist-affected districts, providing them basic police training of three and a half months. While 3,500 were absorbed in the first phase, another 2,100 were hired in the second phase.

The contractual appointments were valid for three years, during which the SPOs being paid a measly sum of Rs 4,500 as monthly remuneration.

However, those who proved their worth during the contract period were to be absorbed as constables in the regular police force. At present, there are 750 SPOs in Kandhamal district while Koraput, another Naxal-prone district, has 650 of them.

Though the state government has sought to defend the recruitments in the past, asserting that they had been hired in accordance with law, there are others who argue that with a short training of three and a half months the tribal SPOs could hardly be expected to either have the weapon skills of regular policemen or the knowledge of law.

In sharp contrast to the SPOs, who could be drafted into the force after clearing Class VIII, the minimum educational qualification for regular police constables was a Plus II degree (earlier it was matriculation) and they had to undergo training for a year.

“There is thus no comparison between an SPO and a regular police constable,” said an officer on conditions of anonymity.

However, Koraput superintendent of police Anup Sahu sought to defend the recruitments, saying that notwithstanding certain deficiencies, the SPOs played an important role in strengthening general police work in the districts.

“Besides, we must keep in mind that unlike in Chhattisgarh, they are not being used as a combat force in Orissa. Recruitments have been made mainly with the purpose of providing employment to tribal youths,” added Sahu.