Cooch Behar: Around 40 former militants of the Kamtapur Liberation Organisation reached the office of the superintendent of police here on Monday and demanded government jobs like their former colleagues based in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts.

Led by Pulastya Burman, a former militant who was also one of the founder members of the outfit, they mentioned the economic hardships they had been facing ever since they returned to the mainstream.

"Former KLO militants and linkmen (untrained youths who had links with the outfit) in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar have been given government jobs. We are in no better position and most of us find it tough to run families. That is why we requested the superintendent of police to provide jobs to us," said Pulstya.

Earlier this month, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had handed over letters to 36 former KLO militants appointing them as home guards.