Around 300 special police officers (SPO) on Monday staged protests on new Saraighat bridge here demanding permanent jobs leading to massive traffic snarls on NH 31 at Jalukbari and Amingaon.
The protesting SPOs have threatened to self-immolate themselves if their demand for appointment is not met by the Assam government today. The SPOs shouted various anti-government slogans for not fulfilling their demands of permanent jobs for years.
They said that the government number of times assured them to provide permanent jobs but has not fulfilled forcing them to take to the streets again. The SPOs have refused to relinquish the bridge until they get a confirmation from the government about their jobs.
Fed up with the dilly-dallying, the group, comprising 272 SPOs, recently wrote to the police commissioner about their intention of self-immolation anytime between April 20 and April 25.
“On February 14, the Police Recruitment Board sent a proposal on inclusion of the 850 SPOs in the 3rd battalion of the AISF, the formation of which was pending with the home department. Although the government had proposed to appoint 145 SPOs in the existing 1st and 2nd battalions, we had resisted the move and asked for appointment of all 850 SPOs. The process for formation of the 3rd battalion was started in 2012 but the file has been shuttling between the home and finance departments. We demand an early resolution of our demand,” Mrityunjay Bora, secretary of the Society, said.