‘Malekudiya Home Guards not getting regular salaries’

During the SC/ST grievance meeting at the SP office in Mangalore, activists said the police should either name Malekudiyas involved in Maoist activity or absolve them. Photo: H.S. Manjunath

Though nearly 15 Malekudiyas have been appointed as Home Guards under the Naxal package, the purpose of employment is defeated as their meagre salaries are not regularly deposited, said a tribal activist at the monthly Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe grievance meet held at the office of the Superintendent of Police here on Sunday.

Sudhakar K.T., president of the Adivasi Malekudiya Seva Trust, Neriya, said the salaries come weeks, and even months, late as police stations delay sending of attendance sheets to the Home Guard office. Out of nearly 21 Malekudiyas who had applied for the scheme under the package that seeks to provide financial assistance to forest dwellers, 15 persons were selected for the post, he said.

“Home guards are only paid Rs. 150 per day, which is minimum wage, and much of this goes into bus travel from their remote villages in Belthangady taluk to posts in B.C. Road and other towns. When the salary doesn’t come on time, they struggle to pay for essentials,” he said.

He urged the police to ensure that their contract term – the package currently guarantees one year of continuous employment – be extended, while the terms of the package should also be in favour of the tribals.

“Currently, the package only develops the area and not the tribal populations. Instead, the Naxal affected-area package should be changed to an Adivasi package, that would ensure development reaches the marginal tribes,” said Mr. Shekhar.

While admitting that there “might be” short delays, Additional Superintendent of Police T.P. Shivakumar said by and large the payments were being made on time. “The Home Guard headquarters releases funds when they have it; and the procedure through the bank may also leads to delays. But we have tried to make sure the delay is not a week or two,” he said.

He assured the activist that they would take up the issue of extension of employment and other details of the package with the district administration, which is the implementing authority.

Probe Maoist incident

Rueing that tribals “were also suspected” to have allied with suspected Maoists in the burning of a car of an environmental activist on November 9, Mr. Shekhar said the police should either reveal the names of the Malekudiyas involved or absolve the community of the crime.

Mr. Shivakumar said the probe was ongoing, and the suspects would be named as soon as proof was obtained.