Govt sets deadline for women induction into fire services
HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 11
The state government has set a deadline of April 14, 2011 for the women to be inducted in Fire and Emergency Services Department.
State Chief Secretary Sanjay Srivastava told reporters today morning that the Recruitment Rules (RR) for allowing women to be inducted in the force are being finalised.
“We expect that the rules will be in place by April, 14, 2011,” Srivastava said.
The Directorate of Fire and Emergency Service (DFES) has already forwarded the proposal to the state government asking to induct women in the service.
“We have already received the proposal by the department but before finalising anything, the same would be forwarded to the Personnel Department and later to the law department for study,” he said.
The State Chief Secretary was addressing media persons at the sidelines of the Annual Inspection Day Parade of DFES.
When asked, Home Minister Ravi Naik said that the induction of women in the force is very crucial.
“There are chances that male fire fighters might be the target for accusations of molestations during the rescue operations,” Naik said adding that all the fire stations across the state would induct women in their service.
The Home Minister said that the department would soon submit the detailed workforce requirement.
“Only after going through the data we would be able to figure out at which station, what number of women power is required,” he stated.
The recently concluded workshop on Fire Safety and Emergency in Schools by the department had attracted female teachers in large numbers.
Naik has also raised concern about the number of fire fighters, which are very less compared to big states. “The department is running with very few fire fighters…the number need to increase,” he said.
At present there are 12 Fire stations in the state except for Sanguem Taluka and a Headquarter with an approved technical strength of 487 personnel.
Earlier, during the annual parade, DFES director Ashok Menon said that the department would be making all necessary efforts towards induction of women in the service.
Talking about the various initiatives of the department, Menon said that the department will be coming out with fire outpost along the coastal belts of the state.
“The efforts are on to acquire piece of land at Mobor and Morjim and Calangute-Candolim-Baga belt.
Being thickly populated areas and narrow roads, it becomes difficult for our fire vehicles to reach to the spot on time. Hence it as been decided to have one stations in each coastal belt,” he said.
Menon had earlier told Herald that that being a coastal belt, it becomes difficult to get a space to put up station and hence appeals are been made to the respective panchayats to provide suitable land.
The department has recently come up with fire station at Saligao and a station with modern amenities is under construction at Curchorim. The department has also plans to set up two more fire stations at Cuncolim and Usgaon.
Menon also said that all the fire fighters and officials would be covered under insurance scheme, which has been approved by the state government.
