Civil Defence and Home Guards dept
SHILLONG: The State Government is yet to take a call 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.
“I am aware about this ban on the recruitment of the Home Guards but we are yet to take any decision on lifting this ban,” Civil Defence and Home Guards department Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar informed here on Friday.
According to him, the Government had imposed this ban due to the shortage of funds.
“I would soon be convening a meeting with the officers of the department to discuss the possibilities of lifting this ban on recruitment,” Dhar said.
Officials however said that the matter continues to linger for the past many years due to the lack of interest on the 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 tabled 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 salary 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 was a hope that the ban would be lifted once the new Government resumed office after the recent Assembly election.
“We understand the importance of lifting the ban considering that 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 considering that 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.