In a significant move aimed at augmenting the efforts to mitigate the existing air pollution crisis in the National Capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the deployment of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) for a period of four-months  beginning November one till February 28 next year.

Their services were terminated at the behest of the then Chief Minister, ArvindKejriwal in November last year, Raj Niwas said here on Wednesday. Approving the proposal of the Government, delayed by about 12 days after he initially passed directions to this effect, Saxena has once again urged the Government to take concrete steps on formulating a scheme for bus marshals separately, as he had directed in his letter to the Chief Minister on October 12 and reiterated in another letter dated November two, it said.

The LG in his note to the Chief Minister, has asked for this scheme to clearly define roles of bus marshals, their rationale and service conditions to be approved by the Cabinet and directed for immediate steps to be taken for creation of posts and making budgetary provisions for the same to bring the issue of bus marshals to a logical conclusion.

The LG’s note to the Chief Minister said “It may be recalled that your predecessor, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, had recommended to me in October 2023, that the services of CDVs be terminated till a number is determined through a proper exercise. While responding to his note, I had suggested that a core strength of CDVs be retained in the revenue department (i.e. districts and headquarter) for the purpose of disaster related work, and had also raised the issue of livelihood concerns of CDVs who come from a humble background and had asked the government to give it serious attention. However, no proposal for deployment of CDVs had been received till September, 2024.”

The note said “In a DDMA meeting dated 24.10.2024, DPCC presented a grim prognosis of air quality this winter. The issue of lack of manpower for enforcement of mitigation measures was also flagged. A decision was taken to call out CDVs specifically those who were deployed as on 31.10.2023 and engage them for air pollution mitigation activities.

This measure shall serve the twin objective of providing relief to these families who were misled into being engaged for non-existent jobs, and also mitigating the impact of the disaster of air pollution in Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister Atishi placed an official note before Saxena recommending reinstatement of Bus Marshals. “It has been made amply clear by ACS Transport that the issue of bus marshals falls under the purview of LG,” she said.

She stated that till the formulation of a scheme, bus marshals be reinstated immediately in the same way as it was before October 31.