Applauding the works of the Home Guards in resolving traffic jams aside from the assistance they give to the police in maintaining law and order, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said while addressing the Home Guards in Dehradun on Wednesday that the strength of Home Guards will be increased from 6411 to 10,000 with recruitment being done in three phases. Moreover, 12 officers of home guards and civil defense department were awarded by the Chief Minister Rawat in a programme held at the directorate of home guards and civil defense to mark the foundation day of the home guards. CM released home gauds department souvenir and inaugurated newly constructed administrative office of central training institute on the occasion. He also announced additional allowances for home guards. The home guards to be deputed in other districts will be given Rs500 against Rs400 they received earlier. Five new units of civil defence will be set up at five different districts -Almora, Bageshwa, Pithoragarh, Uttarkashi and Rudraprayag, he said. In course of training, home guards will be given Rs400 as allowances while priority will be given to the women in the recruitment of home guards, he further said.
Those who received award from CM were Rajiv Baloni, deputy commandant general in-charge, Dr Rahul Sachan, staff officer, Narendra Singh Bisht, senior administrative officer, Shyamendra Kumar Sahu, senior administrative officers and Gautam Kumar, district commandant, Chamoli. On the occasion, chief minister gave Rs5 lakh as financial assistance to each of the dependents of home guards who died in harness.
Director (home guard, civil and defense directorate) ADGP Ram Singh Meena highlighted the home guards’ works and their achievements on the occasion.
State minister (Home Guards) Pritam Singh Panwar, chief secretary S Ramaswami, principal secretary, Umakant Panwar, DM Ravinath Raman, SSP Sweety Aggarwal, home guards and civil security volunteers, government inter- college and Navodaya School students were present on the occasion.