NEW DELHI: The Bhartiya Janata party on Monday lashed out at the Delhi government for failing to reinstate civil defence volunteers on duty, despite an order by Lt. Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena.
Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said that while these volunteers previously worked as bus marshals until October 2023, they remain unemployed since November 1, what he describes as a government’s failure to implement a clear directive.
Speaking at a press conference, Sachdeva said that Atishi’s administration had promised these volunteers would be back on duty by November 11. However, he claimed that no concrete steps have been taken to fulfil this commitment, leaving the volunteers “jobless and in limbo” for over 10 days.
“First, the Kejriwal government played with their jobs, and now the Atishi government is toying with their lives,” Sachdeva asserted.
He expressed disappointment that Atishi, instead of following the Lt. Governor’s order to deploy the volunteers for pollution control — an assignment with full administrative and budgetary approval — focused instead on reassigning them as bus marshals, leaving their employment status unclear.
According to Sachdeva, the situation is exacerbated by past mismanagement: The Kejriwal government initially appointed these volunteers without completing administrative procedures, resulting in their dismissal on October 31.
Sachdeva demanded that Atishi’s administration offer temporary positions to these volunteers and expedite the process for permanent employment. He also emphasised the need for accountability and urged the government to prioritise volunteer deployment according to the Lt Governor’s approved plan.