45,000 posts of home guards vacant in UP, says minister

Lucknow, Feb 21 (PTI) UP's Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Home Guard Dharmveer Prajapati on Friday said that 44,927 posts of home guards are vacant in the state.

Replying to a question of Samajwadi Party member Engineer Sachin Yadav (from the Jasrana constituency in the Firozabad district) during the Question Hour in the Budget Session of the Assembly on Friday, Prajapati said that a total of 1,18,348 posts of home guard volunteers are approved in the state, while 73,421 volunteers are currently on the roll.

Prajapati said that 44,927 posts are vacant and the process of recruitment is carried out as per the requirement.

Yadav had asked whether the government would consider increasing the number of home guard posts in the state and recruiting new people, and if not, then why. Dissatisfied with the government's answer, Yadav also asked supplementary questions.

He said that every year 4,000 posts of home guards are getting vacant. If they keep retiring in the same proportion and the sanctioned posts also remain vacant, what the condition of the department will be, he asked.

He also raised questions about the relatively low salaries of home guards.

"Our government has paid attention. Before August 27, 2018, home guard jawans used to get Rs 375 honorarium. The chief minister increased it from Rs 375 to Rs 500. Along with this, on September 23, 2019, the chief minister made the honorarium Rs 600 per day. The daily allowance has been increased twice and the dearness allowance has been approved. At present, home guard jawans are getting Rs 918 per day." He also said that Rs 3,000 per home guard jawan is being given for uniform, and alleged that their uniforms used to be "very bad". PTI AR NAV MNK MNK

Source: PTI