Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi (HB)
Udupi, Aug 9: D Roopa, IGP, home guards and civil defence, visited the home guards’ office and new civil defence unit building here on Wednesday, August 8.
She received the guard of honour from the district commander of home guards which was followed by a meeting with the department officials.
Speaking to media on various issues, Roopa said, “We have planned to start a new civil defence unit in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts after Bengaluru. We have received only three applications for chief warden’s post from Dakshina Kannada and two from Udupi. There are 10 applications from Karwar. A committee has been formed to finalise the names,”
“A civil defence unit is formed to manage tough situations during natural calamities. The department will train personnel on rescue operations like using boats, drums and plastic materials. Once volunteers are selected, we will send them to NCDC training centre, Nagpur. There were no trained volunteers in Udupi during the heavy rains this time. Civil defence volunteers are the first to respond in such situations,” she added.
Roopa urged to volunteers to enrol in more numbers to serve the unit.“They will be paid Rs 300 per day as honourary payment. Law pursuing students, engineers, and polytechnic students who have technical skills of fire fighting can enrol,” she said.
“There is no provision to make them as permanent staff according to the Act. Unless the Act changes, we cannot make the volunteers as permanent staff. They will be appointed as contract based workers,” she informed.
“There is a demand for increasing the daily allowance up to Rs 455. The demand was approved in the recent state budget. The earlier daily allowance was Rs 400. But the process was getting delayed due to the formation of the new government. It takes time to implement changes,” she said.
Replying to the question that home guards do not get caps and shoes, she said, “Yes I agree on this as there is shortage. I will look into the issue. I have directed rotation in duty of home guards. Home guards have to co-ordinate with the police in order to maintain law and order,”
“A unit requires minimum 100 volunteers. As many as 65 units have been set up in the state,” she said.
On a query that home guards have not received their honorary duty allowance from three months she said, “The budget was announced recently. If it was allotted, the amount will be released. They will get duty allowance from respective departments. Another complaint is they have no government facilities like insurance, ESI and provident fund. This is because the volunteers are not permanent staff under government.”
“Volunteers can submit applications at the deputy commissioner’s office in Udupi. It will be scrutinized by the department,” she said.
Speaking on the corruption issue in jail, which was revealed by her, she said, “It is now under anti-corruption bureau’s investigation.”
Replying to frequent transfers, she said, “I do not think it was intentional. The home guards’ department is better than any other department.”
District commander Prashant Shetty, second commanders Rajesh and Ramesh were present.