Coastal districts to get civil defense units before end of 2016

Coastal districts to get civil defense units before end of 2016

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 24, 2016: Speaking at the review meeting at the district Home Guards Office at Maryhill in Mangaluru on Aug 23,Tuesday, Additional Director General of Police Shivkumar said that civil defense   units are being set up as per the directions of the Union Home Ministry in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts in the next five to six months

Additional Director General of Police Shivkumar went on to say that the Home Ministry has identified the three coastal districts as vulnerable and has issued directions towards the setting up of Civil Defence Organisation, which will be a voluntary organisation as the Home Guards. "The difference is that the Civil Defence Organisation staff will not be a part of maintenance of law and order. Their basic duty is to prepare the citizens during situations like war. The Civil Defence Organisation is operating in Bengaluru Urban, Kaiga and in Raichur. Among these, Bengaluru is considered to be the best Civil Defence Organisation. In 2010, disaster management was included in the Civil Defence Act. The organisation will join hands with local urban bodies to manage situations such as natural calamities," said the official.  ADGP Shivkumar said that the Civil Defence Organisation will be headed by the Chief Warden of Civil Defence. Those aspiring to join the Organisation may visit the superintendent of police and give their details, he added.

Home Guards posts :  From this January, the sanctioned posts of the Home Guards in the state have been increased from 25,000 to 30,000. At present, 21,000 Home Guards are serving.

Stating that the working pattern of Home Guards has changed during the last five years, the ADGP said that, earlier, the Home Guards had been assisting only the Police Department and, hence, there was less pressure. "Owing to an increasing demand, 11,000 additional Home Guards have been deployed in various other departments like the Department of Tourism and the Department of Mines and Geology," he explained, adding, "The daily pay of Home Guards has now been hiked from Rs 325 to Rs 400 in Bengaluru and from Rs 200 to Rs 325 in other districts."

In the district, the strength of Home Guards will be increased from 800 to 1000. At present, 693 Home Guards are working with the Police Department in the district and 269 in various places such as fire stations, district prison, NMPT, All India Radio, Kukke Subrahmanya temple, Tourism Department and Mines and Geology Department.

Recruitment rallies are being conducted to recruit the additional Home Guards and they will join various departments soon, the ADGP said.   Regarding the delay in the payment of salaries to Home Guards from the last three to four months, ADGP Shivkumar said that the issue has come to his notice. "The payment was delayed as the state government was developing a software for the payment of salaries and now the problem has been rectified," he clarified.  Welfare programmes

He further said that many welfare programmes have been implemented in the interest of Home Guards. "Home guard welfare fund has been instituted wherein the Home Guards have to contribute Rs 50 a year. This will be towards the medical treatment and children’s education. Under the group accident insurance policy, Rs 817 a year will be contributed by Home Guards. They will be entitled to get compensation of Rs five lakh and Rs three lakh in case of permanent disabilities and death on duty respectively," he added. District Commandant Dr Murali Mohan Chuntaru, Udupi district Home guards Commandant Dr Prashanth Shetty and officers of 14 Home Guard units were present among others.