Daltonganj: Fifty-five chowkidars in Latehar district were confirmed in service after waiting for more than 20 years, officials said.Deputy commissioner Sandip Kumar said the decision was taken at a recent meeting of the district establishment committee chaired by him. “There are in all 76 chowkidars in this district. Services of 55 of them have been confirmed,” he said.The remaining 21 could not be confirmed due to gaps in documents. “There were some deficiencies in their documentation like date of birth, caste, residence and minimum educational qualification,” Kumar said. Sources said they have been asked to update their records at the earliest.A part of the civil administration, chowkidaars serve as a crucial link between the rural residents and the police. They are handled by a deputy collector-level officer and monitored by the police stations. Their probation period is two years.At the heights of left-wing extremism, the chowkidaars kept the police informed by reporting movements in the villages.