Year after their removal, Delhi govt reinstates 10,000 bus marshals

“For the next four months, bus marshals and civil defence volunteers will contribute to the fight against pollution. Call-out notices for the marshals will be issued from Monday, and they can proceed to register at different DM offices. Deployment for pollution control efforts will follow within 2-3 days of registration,” CM Atishi said.

Their tasks will now include monitoring pollution control centers, curbing open burning, managing construction waste, halting the illegal use of diesel generators, and addressing complaints received via the Green Delhi app.

The reinstatement comes amid a political blame game between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP who have accused each other of mishandling the issue of the bus marshals’ termination and their delayed reinstatement.

Addressing the controversy, CM Atishi hit out at the BJP, stating, “The impact of these bus marshals has been evident. They have prevented incidents of harassment against women, thwarted kidnapping attempts, and provided assistance to the elderly…However, the BJP was displeased with the safety of women, children, and the elderly, and with 10,000 youths from low-income families finding work as marshals. Consequently, the BJP conspired through its officials to halt the salaries of these marshals from April 2023.”

Atishi also accused the BJP of deliberately blocking the disbursement of salaries despite repeated directives from Delhi ministers and former CM Arvind Kejriwal. “In October 2023, they ensured that these 10,000 bus marshals and civil defence volunteers lost their jobs. This left women on buses feeling insecure and rendered over 10,000 young individuals unemployed. Arvind Kejriwal made it a point to reinstate these marshals, determined to restore their jobs regardless of the challenges,” she alleged.

Highlighting the struggles faced by the volunteers, Atishi noted, “For over a year, bus marshals and civil defence volunteers have been protesting on the streets, and the Delhi government, its ministers, and AAP MLAs have stood by them. From street protests to facing police brutality and arrests, AAP MLAs and ministers have stood shoulder to shoulder with the marshals in their fight.”

Meanwhile, the BJP criticised the government for delays in the reinstatement process. “Under pressure from the Delhi BJP, CM Atishi Marlena has been forced to order the reinstatement of Civil Defence Volunteers on duty starting from November 11. The Chief Minister has kept the civil defence personnel unemployed until now. The truth is that Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi Marlena do not wish to employ them,” claimed Delhi BJP chief Virender Sachdeva. The BJP has demanded that the volunteers’ wages be paid from November 1 as per the L-G’s order.

The CDVs were removed from November 1, 2023 after objections were raised by finance and revenue departments that they were meant to serve in disaster mitigation related works and their deployment as bus marshals was wrong.