Former IPS officer moves High Court seeking better pay for Home Guards

Former IPS officer K. Annamalai has filed a public curiosity litigation petition within the Madras High Court difficult a February 19, 2019, Government Order which restricts the variety of name out duties that could possibly be assigned to the Home Guards, those that voluntarily function an auxiliary power to the police, to simply 10 days a month.

When the case was listed for admission earlier than the primary Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy on Tuesday, the judges ordered discover to the Home Secretary, the Director General of Police and others returnable by 10 weeks. The judges directed State Government Pleader V. Jayaprakash Narayanan to get directions by June 15.

Mr. Annamalai stated the Home Guards was a voluntary power raised in 1946 to help the police in controlling civil disturbances and communal riots. Their position was to function an auxiliary power to the police in upkeep of inside safety and assist in any type of emergency, comparable to an air-raid, hearth, cyclone, earthquake and epidemic.

Home Guards had been recruited from cross sections of society and utilised to hold out all features carried out commonly by police constables. They had been working as half and parcel of the Police Department and carry out duties, comparable to driving, visitors management, evening patrolling, VIP bandobust, election responsibility and serving of court docket summons, the petitioner added.

Pointing out that the Home Guards had been initially paid a meagre quantity of ₹150 a day in Tamil Nadu, he stated the quantity was elevated to ₹560 a day by means of a G.O. issued on July 7, 2017. However, that G.O. decreased the variety of name out duties for them from 16 to 5 days a month, thereby just about nullifying the pay improve.

On February 19, 2019, one other G.O. was issued, growing the decision out duties to 10 days a month. Nevertheless, stating that it might not be enough, the petitioner identified that the Home Guards in neighbouring States had been paid for nearly 30 days a month and a few States even supplied them a pay equal to the month-to-month pay of a Grade II police constable.