Govt may announce fresh appointments once NGT ban is lifted
SHILLONG: The Home Guards Border Wing, which was once considered as a dying force, is likely to be revived in a big way by the State Government.
The strength of the force, which was earlier around 1000, has now been reduced to around 600. The force was initially formed to help in rescue operations during wars.
After the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, the border wing entered a period of decay, since the Government was unable to figure out how to utilize the force.
In the late 80s the Government planned to do away with the Home Guards Border Wing after the BSF declined to accept their assistance in manning the international borders.
With the BSF showing reluctance in utilizing the home guards personnel, the State Government withdrew them from the BSF and deployed them to oversee general law and order duty during the communal unrest in Meghalaya in 1987-88.
“Since then, the Government has been in dilemma on how to utilize the force. No fresh appointments were made since the Government had expected that the border wing would die by itself,” Director General of Home Guards and Civil Defense, Kulbir Krishan, told newspersons recently.
The DG informed that the State Government, in 2002, imposed a ban on recruitment of personnel to the Home Guards Border Wing.
“Now the State Government has expressed its keenness to lift the 12-year-old ban on recruitment of home guards personnel, which is presently hit by huge manpower constraints,” Krishan said, adding, “The State Government has agreed to lift the ban on the condition that there is availability of funds.” Krishan further informed that the matter had been taken up with the Finance department which, however, advised that the matter should be kept in abeyance due to the present situation arising out of the NGT ban on coal mining in the State.
On the manpower scenario, Krishan informed there was a shortfall of 200 personnel in the department.
According to him, the actual sanctioned strength of the border home guards was around 800, but the current strength is only 588.