8,000 home guards get 6-month tenure extension after Delhi L-G nod

These personnel had been enrolled in service 12 years ago. According to Delhi Home Department records, 1,331 such personnel on the rolls currently are aged below 35; 6,221 between 35 and 50 years, and 987 above 50 years.

The L-G has, however, flagged that the proposal for fresh enrolment of 10,285 home guards volunteers has been pending with the Delhi government since July and no time schedule for the process has been mentioned by the Home Department in the latest proposal. The Delhi government did not issue a response on the matter.

According to L-G House officials, the last enrolment of home guards was made in 2011; since then, their tenure has been extended from time to time with the approval of the L-G. Rule 8 of Delhi Home Guards Rules provides that “the term of office of a member of the Home Guards shall be three years”.

“The tenure of the existing Home Guard Volunteers was going to lapse on September 30 this year; the L-G approved the proposal for amendment in Rule 8 of Delhi Home Guards Rules, 1959, last week after which their term has been extended up to March 31, 2024,” officials said.

Following the move, the tenure of home guards on the rolls, as of September 2023 and due for discharge between March 31 and September 30, has been extended till fresh enrolment takes place, whichever is earlier.

This, officials added, was subject to conditions such as satisfactory service records, general conduct during the tenure, and physical fitness, the proposal approved reads.

“Earlier, when the home department’s proposal relating to extension of tenure for six months… was routed through Minister (Home) and Chief Minister, it was examined by the L-G Secretariat and agreed upon… with directions to complete the process of fresh enrolment within the extended period,” officials stated.