Home Guards march to press for demands

NEW DELHI, July 17: More than 1,000 Home Guards took to the streets this afternoon to protest against what they described 8220;the government8217;s step-motherly treatment and corruption by their seniors8221;. They also demanded that they be given permanent employment, free bus travel and parity with constables and head constables in the Delhi Police.

8220;Each of us receives only Rs 63 a day when we are on duty. If we fall ill, we don8217;t get the money,8221; said Dinesh who has been working as a Home Guard for the past 15 years.

The Home Guards, who went to Union Home Minister L.K. Advani8217;s house with a memorandum today, said that the recent dismissal of at least 500 home guards has put a question mark on their future.