Imphal, January 12 2009: IN AN obvious gesture of boosting the morale of the Manipur police commandos actively engaged in counter insurgency operations, the SPF government's cabinet today decided to award the team of Thoubal district police commandos who took part in the operation at Langathel on December 8 last year in which five cadres of the banned People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) were shot dead and huge cache of arms and ammunitions was recovered.

The cabinet decided to give the police commando team a cash award of Rs 5 lac for having successfully conducted the ambush on the group of underground PREPAK cadres.

In another development, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has sanctioned recruitment of 1,350 Special Police Officers (SPOs) .

The cabinet decided to recruit these SPOs soon.

The number of SPOs to be recruited include 250 for Lilong Chajing area.

The SPOs will be attached to police stations under the supervision of the concerned Superintendent of Police.

Meanwhile, the 300 SPOs of Heirok who have completed their training and taken back from the Manipur Police Training School, Pangei are now being attached to the 2nd IRB out post at Heirok in Thoubal district.

Though they are not yet given normal duty, they must attend roll-call and other drills at the outpost every morning, police sources said.