Hitting out at the State Government for its lackadaisical attitude towards them, a large number of home guards on Monday took to the streets to press for their demands. Staging a protest rally along the Mahatma Gandhi Marg in front of the Assembly, the agitating Homeguards under the banner of Nikhila Odisha Gruharakhi Mahasangha demanded immediate enhancement of per day incentive from the present Rs220 to Rs450 and regularisation of job.
“During our last agitation two years ago, the Government had assured us to fulfil our demands at the earliest, but to no avail. Though we have been assigned to different types of works starting from manning traffic posts to guarding VIP houses and police stations we are being deprived of basic minimum facilities,” said Sangha secretary Banamali Mahanta.
Also demanding reengagement of retrenched Homeguards, Mahanta said, “Despite the Odisha High Court verdict the administration is retrenching Homeguards illegally. While around 450 Homeguards are retrenched in Baleswar around 100 are retrenched in Bhubaneswar in name of verification and review.” Sources said around 17,500 Homeguards are working across the State now.
“We have been demanding regularisation of job, facilities as per general police personnel, inclusion in Odisha Auxiliary Force and social security. If the Government fails to address our demands at the earliest, we will resort to cease work agitation,” warned Mahanta. They also submitted a five-point charter of demands to the Chief Minister to this effect.