BHUBANESWAR: Filling up vacancies in home guards posts in the State, provision of quality of uniforms and advanced training for the home guards who work as auxiliary force for Odisha Police, were some of the important issues touched upon at the first conference of Senior Home Guard Officers here on Monday.Speaking at the conference, DG, Home Guards, BK Sharma said nearly 1250 vacancies out of 18,000 posts in Odisha need to be filled up ahead of the Assembly elections. “Home guards are trained and working with police regularly and hence wherever there are vacancies, those should be filled up at the earliest,” Sharma said.
The DG also stressed on transparency in appointment. “About 10 per cent of these appointed home guards in future will become constables for which qualified and best personnel should be recruited,” he added.
He also pitched for provision of quality uniforms for home guards and improving their service conditions, besides hike in salaries considering that their scope of responsibility has expanded over time. The home guards attached with Commissionerate Police are managing traffic, working as drivers of PCR vehicles, entering data in computers in police stations and CCTNS, besides performing other tasks, he added.
Sharma also instructed the home guards officers to follow Orissa Home Guards Act procedure while taking action against the personnel for any mistakes committed and warned them from misusing the home guards for their personal work.
Sharma, who is also the Fire Services DG, informed that it has been decided to deploy two to four fire services personnel at fire stations in the State. Plans are also on the anvil to provide underwater training to home guards at Ramachandi in Puri district, he added.About how the recent protest by the home guards over their seven-point charter of demands, Sharma said notices have been sent to them through Commandants and action would be taken after going through their explanations.The conference was attended by Home Guard IG Rajesh Kumar and 34 other senior officers of the State.
Revamp plan
nStress on filling up 1250 vacanices of home guards posts across State
nThere are about 18,000 posts of home guards in the State
nTransparency in appointment of home guards
nImproving their service conditions, hike in salaries in future
nFollowing Orissa Home Guards Act while taking actiona against home guards found guilty
nDeploying them in fire stations
nUnderwater training at Ramchandi in Puri