Imphal, December 30 2008: Altogether 300 SPOs who have been undergoing training at Manipur Police Training School (MPTS) at Pangei since June 19 this year have been formally released by MPTS Director today.

On the other hand, hunger strike launched by SPOs at MPTS gate since yesterday against the failure of the Government to assign their duties and positions even after six months of training continued today too.

Earlier, the SPOs training course was scheduled for only three months.

As the SPOs staged hunger strike since last morning without having anything, 16 of them collapsed today and they were taken to hospital.

While four of them were given treatment in the MI room of MPTS, the remaining 12 were admitted in JN Hospital and RIMS.

With the SPOs continuing their agitation, Thoubal SDPO Jogeshchandra came to Pangei and talked with the SPOs.

The SDPO told the hunger strikers that he was there to take them on the advice of the SP.

Asking the SPOs to call off their agitation, he said that he would ask the MPTS Director to release them formally provided they wished so.

Although barracks for SPOs have not been constructed yet, Jogeshchandra told the SPOs that their accommodation have been arranged.

He also assured adequate protection to the SPOs.

To this, the SPOs said that they did not have any faith in the Government as the State Government has failed to keep its words on several occasions.

Yet, they asked the SDPO to come with Heirok A/C MLA Oken and SP Imphal East Radheshyam.

They proposed to sign an MoU in the presence of presence of the MLA and the SP.

As the SPOs were talking with the SDPO, three of them broke down resulting in a din as the other SPOs ran here and there for treatment of the colleagues.

Obviously, the agitating SPOs were sentimentally hurt so badly on seeing their colleagues breaking down in front of their own eyes, that many of them wept and told the SDPO they would not budge from there even if they should die there together.

Later Imphal East SP Radheshyam came there and talked with the SPOs.

Radheshyam said that he came there to take back the SPOs in accordance to the instruction of the Chief Minister to commission the SPOs from January 1 .

He further explained that the delay in building barracks is due to certain problems in acquisition of land.

Nevertheless, the Government is working hard to build barracks for SPOs, the SP said.

After arriving at an understanding with the SP, the SPOs called off their stir.

After offering meal at MPTS, the SPOs were taken to Thoubal District Police SDPO Jogeshchandra escorting them.

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