Trainees including SPOs suffer Govt apathy at MPTS
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 06: As the State Government has not been able to make the arrangement for providing new uniform in time, newly recruited police personnel who are undergoing training at the Manipur Police Training School at Pangei have no option but to use the old uniform worn by their predecessors.

On the other hand, SPO recruits from Heirok who are also undergoing training at the same school have expressed strong resentment over the indifferent attitude of the Government to their requirements.

SPO recruits in training at the MPTS

Established in 1967 as a training centre of Manipur Police, it is said that the training school has so far imparted training to 20,899 police personnel.

These include 7 batches of women police, 45 batches of constable and radio operators, 6 batches of IRB and 52 batches of Manipur Rifles.

Nonetheless, functioning of the training school has been plagued with numerous problems.

According to a reliable source from the training school, newly recruited police personnel who are undergoing training at the Manipur Police Training School at Pangei are being made to wear the old uniform of their predecessors as the process of issuing uniform to the trainees takes a long time.

Another problem being faced by the trainees is the lack of adequate provision for food.

As the meagre amount of Rs 570 being provided as ration money for a month to each of the recruit is not sufficient enough, the recruits have been contributing Rs 100 each every month.

However, this is also far from satisfying the needs of the recruits.

Moreover, although a sum of Rs 60 lakhs has been sanctioned by the Centre under the Police Modernisation programme for erecting fencing around the 103 acres of land of the training school, the southern side of the training school still remains breached.

The road running side the training school campus is also so bad that whenever there is some road repairing work being done in the nearby area, the workers are requested for filling up the potholes and apply bitumen if they have any extra.

On the other hand, even if they have not yet been exposed to the same sort of inconveniences, the SPO recruits from Heirok who are undergoing training at the school have expressed their dissatisfaction over the indifferent attitude of the Government towards their needs including food.

SPO recruits said that with onset of winter season, they would also be needing jerseys and blankets.

But till date they have not even received beddings and trunks and sleeping on the floor.

They are also using the plates and glasses brought from their own home at the time of coming to the school for training.

Yet they are being made to do routine works like any other trainees of the school.

Although they have brought for training only for a month, now it is almost four months and have no idea when it would be over, the SPO recruits said, adding that delayed in construction of their barracks has discouraged them. During his last visit at the training school on September 24, the DGP had reportedly assured them that the construction of the barracks of the SPOs would be completed in two months' time.

It is said that lack of interest on the part of the Government has also caused confusion and discouragement among the SPO recruits.

Today 45 SPO recruits were reportedly absent from the school even as some of them have already left for home without completing the training.

SPO recruits have also demanded that instead of honorarium, they should be given salary by the Government.