Imphal, May 17: In case guidelines prescribed for Special Police Officers (SPOs) in Jammu and Kashmir are applied to SPOs being proposed in Heirok and Lilong Chajing areas such personnel would have to be involved/engaged in counter-insurgency operations, said a top official of State's Police Department.

Speaking to The Sangai Express on condition of anonymity, the official disclosed that under intense pressure from the Central Government authorities to follow the J&K SPO guidelines two top police officials were recently deputed to Srinagar to study the same model.

The two officials after their return to Imphal yesterday submitted a report to the State's Director General of Police today, said the police source.

Among others the report is said to have elaborated on utilisation of J&K SPOs in counter-insurgency operation.

The northern State is said to have about 23,000 SPOs and another strength of 50,000 armed volunteers under the Village Defence Committee (VDC).

Moreover, automatic weapons are issued by the Govt to the SPOs with a monthly honorarium of Rs 3000 each in addition to provision of uniform and ration money.

These SPOs are attached to district police stations as well as with other security forces being deployed in the militancy infested State.

Even though the VDC volunteers are armed with .303 rifles monetary entitlements are said to be at par with the SPOs.

These SPO and VDC personnel are restricted from foraying beyond their respective jurisdictions (villages) or from designated areas like villages they are entrusted to protect, the police official added.