The Central Government has increased the number of rural districts covered under the Plan Scheme of Mainstreaming Civil Defence in disaster risk reduction from 100 to 240 during August 2014.
The Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said this to Uttarakhand Urban Development and Prisons Minister Pritam Singh Panwar who called on him in New Delhi on Wednesday. Panwar discussed the issues of Home Guards and Civil Defence Volunteers of Uttarakhand with the Home Minister and requested him for extension of Civil Defence organisations to all the districts from existing four districts in the State.
Responding to this request, Singh informed him that the Centre had increased the number of rural districts covered under the Plan Scheme of Mainstreaming Civil Defence in disaster risk reduction. He also requested an increase in the share of Home Guards in the Police from five per cent at present to 10 per cent. The Home Minister also assured to release the share of the Uttarakhand State Government for Civil Defence and Home Guards at the earliest.
Panwar also discussed the modernisation of police and prisons in the State. He requested Central assistance for the purpose of installing latest equipment such as CCTV cameras in the prisons and other places. The Home Minister assured Panwar that he would look into the request and provide necessary assistance in this regard.