JAMMU: Over 10,758 Special Police Officers (SPOs) were engaged in the last two years in Jammu and Kashmir with over 83 per cent of them getting selected from militancy-prone districts of the valley, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said today.
While 8992 SPOs were engaged in Kashmir zone, 1,457 were appointed in Jammu zone, the chief minister, who is minister- in-charge (Home), said in a written reply in the Assembly.
In addition, 309 others were selected for other wings of police like Armed, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), crime wing, railway, security, traffic and Special Security Group (SSG), she said.
The highest number of 1,392 SPOs were engaged in border district of Kupwara followed by 1,377 in Baramulla district and 1,275 in Srinagar district, the chief minister said.
The four districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama in south Kashmir, saw a total of 2,556 SPO appointments in 2016 and 2017.
Pulwama district leads with 885 appointments followed by Anantnag (812), Kulgam (531) and Shopian (328), Mufti said.
In Jammu zone, 385 SPOs were engaged in Jammu district, including 23 in Police Control Room. It was followed by Rajouri (270), Udhampur (185), Doda(142), Reasi(136), Ramban (115), Kathua (64), Sabma(58), Poonch (52) and Kishtwar (50) during the last two years.
Among them, 1,406 were appointed last year against 51 in the previous year, Mufti said.