GUWAHATI: The Gauhati high court has directed the state government to facilitate job applications of 19 former special police officers (SPOs) for the post of constables in the Assam Industrial Security Force . The applicants moved the court after they could not file their job applications online due to technical glitches."The respondent in the meantime should facilitate the former SPOs to furnish their applications in the online system if they satisfy the eligibility criteria, specified by the advertisement," the court ordered. The state-level recruitment board has been asked to respond on the matter within four weeks. Counsel of petitioners D Deka submitted before the court that technical problems had prevented the aspirants from filing their applications, last date for which was December 26 last year. The date has been extended to January 25 by the court.In 2008, the state government had started recruiting SPOs in militancy-hit Dima Hasao, Dhubri, Kokrajhar and Bodoland Territorial Area Districts. Many surrendered rebels had been inducted into the squad under rehabilitation schemes. In 2015, the state government discharged hundreds of SPOs with a promise to hire them in the 3rd AISF battalion. Since then, almost 700 out-of-work SPOs have had to resort to odd jobs to earn their livelihood.

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