Imphal, June 11: The last round of recruitment rally of Special Police Officers (SPOs) being proposed by the Government was held at Heirok today.

The last round of the recruitment rally for selection of 300 SPOs in Heirok was conducted along with SP of Thoubal District Clay Khongsai at the public ground of the village from 10.30 am to 2 pm.

Out of around 500 youths who turned up to participate in the recruitment rally, 290 of them have been reportedly selected after scrutiny.

Talking to media-persons, some of the participants reiterated that after selection as SPOs, if the State Government is to press them into counter insurgency operations, they would give up arms and resign.

All of them echoed that they would be taking up arms only for self protection and not for fighting against the underground activists.

It may be noted here that following the demand raised by Heirok people to provide arms for self protection, the State Government took up the steps for setting up SPOs on the line of Jammu and Kashmir with the approval of the Centre despite strong criticisms from various quarters.

The State Government had even deputed Thoubal SP Clay Khongsai and SDPO of Imphal West Dr AK Jhalajit to study the model and the modalities of the SPOs deployed in Jammu and Kashmir.

The recruitment drive was held after the people of Heirok demanded guns to protect themselves following the Thabal Chongba incident in March this year.

Three persons including a young girl were killed in the incident while another young girl was gravely wounded.

The people of Chajing had also raised a similar demand.