On the directions of Governor N.N. Vohra, the State Home Department has, in a letter addressed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, requested the Central Government to sanction uniform enhancement of monthly honorarium of all Special Police Officers (SPOs) from Rs 3000 to Rs 6000 w.e.f 1-1-16.The State Government has pointed out that the SPOs have been carrying out operational duties through direct participation in anti-militancy operations, gathering intelligence, guarding vital installations and some of them work as force multipliers during law and order situations. Keeping in view their varied and interchangeable roles depending upon the ground requirements, it is difficult to categorize them on the basis of their skills or nature of the duty etc and prescribe different scales of honorarium to them.The State Government has requested the Union Home Ministry to enhance monthly honorarium of SPOs without imposing any pre-conditions so as to enable the State Government to issue necessary orders in this regard. Presently, there are around 24,068 SPOs in the State and keeping in view their services, the State Government has urged Government of India to fulfill their long pending demand.It may be recalled that enhancement of the SPOs’ remuneration is part of the Special Package announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to Srinagar on 7th November 2015.