With the Uttar Pradesh government taking a U-turn after deciding to withdraw services of 25,000 home guards from UP Police due to budgetary constraints, Bahujan Samaj Party and Congress grabbed the opportunity by attacking the government for snatching jobs.
The opposition parties targeted both the UP and Central governments, charging that instead of providing employment, the Bharatiya Janata Party governments were increasing ‘joblessness’.
Lashing out at the government, BSP chief Mayawati said, “Why is the UP government punishing lakhs of family members of 25,000 home guards by removing them from jobs due to its own wrong economic policies? This would only lead to more anarchy in the state.”
“Instead of giving employment, why is it increasing joblessness? It would be better if the government pays proper attention to issues of public interest,” Mayawati tweeted.
Earlier in the day, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked the government over its decision to do away with 25,000 home guards and asked what sort of “craziness” had taken over the mind of the dispensation.
Newly appointed Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra ‘Mona’ while expressing concern for the families of home guards, wrote to the Chief Minister, asking him to immediately roll back the decision as the home guards contributed a lot in maintaining law and order in the state.
She alleged that the decision, if not withdrawn, would darken the lives of 25,000 families in the coming Diwali.
After strong criticism over the move, Home Guard Minister Chetan Chauhan had said on Tuesday night, “No home guard will be removed. I have spoken to officers of UP Police and asked them not to remove anyone. They might reduce their working days.”
Even the DGP said that it was a temporary phase and everyone would be back on job very soon.
On Tuesday, the UP government announced that it was doing away with 25,000 home guards as the state could not afford new allowances the Supreme Court had asked it to pay, only to reverse it hours later.
Officials said that a large number of home guards were engaged in April and the Supreme Court order of July meant a hike in the cost of deploying them. The daily allowance of home guards has been hiked to Rs 672 from Rs 500 by the apex court.
The government said that this would cost the state an extra burden of Rs 10-12 crore every month. It, therefore, decided not to deploy home guards for security at police stations and traffic signals.
Home guards are not permanent employees and are recruited on a casual basis by the UP Police. They do not have fixed monthly salaries and are paid for the number of days they work, Hitherto they were given duty for 25 days a month but it has been decreased to 15 days.