By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government is yet to lift the 2002 ban imposed on recruitment of Home Guards even as the Civil Defence and Home Guards department is facing acute shortage of manpower.
Official sources on Saturday informed that the matter continues to linger for the past many years due to the lack of interest on part of the Government even as the latter had contemplated to lift the ban in 2011.
It is learnt that former Civil Defence and Home Guards Minister Augustine D Marak had even table the matter before the Cabinet.
Official sources revealed that the Finance department had given its approval to carry fresh recruitment of Home Guards but the same could not be initiated since the department had not allocated the funds for the salaries of the new staff to be recruited.
“The Civil Defence and Home Guards department have been compelled to take up the matter again with the Finance department,” sources said.
However, official sources said there are possibilities that the ban would be lifted once the new Government resumed office. “We understand the importance of lifting the ban considering the department is suffering from a huge manpower constraint,” a senior government official said.
He also informed that at present there are 177 vacancies in the Home Guards border wing and once the ban is lifted the problem of manpower constraint would be largely addressed.
Meanwhile, a senior government official claimed that various steps are being taken by the Government to enhance the capacity of the Civil Defence and Home Guards department.
While underlining its importance, he said that the department has a very important role to play in matters relating to disaster management, especially when the State falls under Seismic Zone V, which is highly earthquake prone.
“It is important to bring in fresh blood in the ageing Home Guard ranks,” sources said.
With the lift in the ban, it would also allow the department to set units in all the seven districts of the State, sources said while adding that at present, the department has its base only in Jaintia Hills, West Garo Hills and East Khasi Hills.