CM Yogi Adityanath offers tribute to Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar on Sunday. (Express photo)Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced a provision of Rs 5-lakh ex-gratia payment for the nominees of serving Home Guard volunteers and the force’s honorary officers in case of their death or if they suffer a disability.
Speaking at the 58th foundation day programme of the UP Home Guards, the CM said jobs in the force would be provided to able dependants of home guards if they die or become disabled.
Adityanath said so far financial aid to the families of such Home Guards was provided from the interest in the Kalyan Kosh welfare fund. Only 20 per cent of the affected personnel received the benefits, but under the new rule everyone would benefit, he added. The CM said his government had increased the welfare fund from Rs 5 crore to Rs 10 crore.
Earlier during the event, the Chief Minister handed over to the public the district home guard offices in Agra, Fatehpur, Fatehgarh, Jaunpur and Hamirpur, along with a Chetan Chauhan Divisional Training Centre in Moradabad.
The construction of the Hardoi district home guards office and four divisional training centres in Prayagraj, Jhansi, Agra and Kanpur would be completed soon, the government added.
Adityanath inspected a parade at the event, and gave the kin of deceased Home Guard volunteers Rs 5-lakh cheques.
“Our government has made the duty allowances in Home Guards similar to the police system and that will help the Home Guard volunteers in fulfilling their duties with full commitment. The state government has permitted a minimum salary of Rs 18,000 for the Home Guard volunteers and honorary officers, with inflation allowances added time to time,” he added.
The CM said 10,000 Home Guards fulfilled their duties during the Kumbh Mela in 2019, and announced they would receive the Kumbh-Sewa Medal. He claimed that during the rule of previous governments there were around 55,000 Home Guards, but his government raised it to around 90,000.
Adityanath also congratulated the volunteers for their help during the Covid-19 lockdown, including managing buses ferrying migrant labourers to their destinations.
Earlier in the day, he said said Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a significant contributions in getting global honour for Bhimrao Ambedkar. In a statement issued here on the death anniversary of Ambedkar, he said, “PM Narendra Modi has done the work of developing places associated with Babasaheb and linking the future generation with his philosophy.”
—With PTI Inputs