The 54th Home Guard Raising Day was celebrated at the Police Parade Ground, here on Friday.
Addressing the Home Guards after inspecting an impressive march past by seven platoons of the Home Guards, including an exclusive all-women platoon, Joint Commissioner of Visakhapatnam City Police A.S. Khan said Home Guards play an important role in day-to-day policing and have been working hand-in-hand with the regular police force.
The idea of Home Guards was first raised by General K.M. Cariappa. It was the general who suggested the formal constitution and recognition of the voluntary peace groups, said the Joint CP.
Mr. Khan said the Home Guard was originally raised as a voluntary and auxiliary force to the police in 1946 under the Home Guards Acts and Rules of States and Union Territories, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and later reorganised as a force in 1962, after the Sino-Indian war.Speaking to The Hindu , N. Ramakrishna Yadav, Joint Secretary of AP State Home Guards Welfare Association, said despite the Home Guards putting their best efforts the State has not recognised their hard work.
“On the occasion of the Raising Day, we demand that our wages be enhanced from Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 18,500, as per the Supreme Court’s guideline of basic pay for workers. We also demand that government housing, insurance cover and medical facility be extended to us on par with other State government employees”, he said. In AP there are about 15,200 Home Guards.
