L-G Saxena gives nod for enrolment of 10,000 Home Guards in Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS) Amid the ongoing protest by the civil defence volunteers (CDVs) posted as bus marshals, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena on Monday cleared the enrolment of more than 10,000 new Home Guard personnel to be appointed as bus marshals in all DTC and cluster bus services and also issued directions to give preference by way of 10 extra marks to experienced CDVs during the selection process. 

Raj Bhavan officials said that beginning soon, the process of enrolment of more than 10,000 personnel in Delhi Home Guards will be set rolling and by March, 2024, these freshly recruited personnel will be on the rolls, through an open, fair and transparent selection process, which will have extra credits for CDVs. 

The officials that once enrolled, these Home Guard Volunteers (HGVs) will be getting about Rs 25,000 every month. 

The official said that the L-G, who on Monday chaired a meeting to review the enrolment of 10,285 new HGVs, directed officials to squeeze timelines of the enrolment process from June, 2024 to March, 2024, ensure transparency in selection, provide 10 bonus points to ex-CDVs and complete the entire enrolment process at a fast pace by putting into place more teams and locations to complete the physical test process. 

Amending the eligibility criteria, the official said that Saxena also directed that the age limit for enrolment into home guards be brought down to 45 years from the existing 60 years, in line with the maximum age limit in other states and to ensure that the personnel enrolled served the purpose of acting as auxiliary to the regular police force. The minimum qualification for getting enrolled has also been raised from Class 10 to Class 12 in line with the required minimum qualification for appointment of constables in Delhi Police, the official said.

The Raj Bhavan official also said that as a special measure meant to provide opportunities to the CDVs. 

"Saxena has directed that a quota in terms of providing 10 extra marks be given to them for the purpose of preferential selection," the official said.

The official said that 15 teams comprising a senior officer each of the district administration, Delhi Police and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) will serve as the Board to assess the physical efficiency of the candidates, who have applied at 10 locations. 

This would ensure that the selection and screening process is completed with speed. To ensure transparency, this entire process will be videographed through CCTV cameras installed at all the locations. 

Once the candidates clear the physical efficiency test, they will become eligible for the Computer-based Entrance Test (CBT). 

The enrolment process is expected to begin soon with the issuance of advertisement and the Physical Measurement and Efficiency Test (PMET) will begin in the first week of February, 2024. 

The CBT, following the PMET will be completed thereafter and the final results will be out by March, 2024, the official added. 

--IANS

aks/pgh