Minister to take up home guards’ pay issue with CM

LUCKNOW: The fate of the 25,000 Home Guards, whose service have been terminated by the state police, hangs in balance as the state Finance Department has expressed its inability to allot fund for the payment of the revised allowance to the Home Guards.

Home Guards and Civil Security minister Chetan Chauhan on Friday said he had decided to take up the matter with chief minister Yogi Adityanath. “The Home department has around ₹300 crore contingency funds that can be released for the payment of the revised allowance to the Home Guards as per the Supreme Court order,” he said.

A meeting of the officers of Finance department, state police, Home department and Home Guards department was held under chairmanship of Chauhan to discuss the restoration of the service of the 25,000 Home Guards in the state police. In an order on October 14, the State Police had terminated their services.

Addressing a press conference, Chauhan said the officers of the Home department and state police said they required the services of the Home Guards. “Along with managing traffic and law and order work, Home Guard volunteers drive the vehicles of the UP-100 service. Also, their services will be required in the coming festivities. The officers informed me that in some districts the superintendents of police have not removed the Home Guards from duty,” he said.

“We are working on various options to get extra fund,” Chauhan said.