MARGAO: Rising Goans, an activist group, on Wednesday slammed the government for the injustice meted out to Home Guards and lamented that till date the government has not responded to the memorandum submitted by the association of Home Guards.
Briefing media persons, President Shailendra Velingkar said, “There were around 1,300 persons working as Home Guards in Goa of which 600 were women and added that they work in atrocious conditions for a paltry sum of Rs704 per day.
“Even though there are court judgements about making payments for 30 days the Home Guards are paid for only 26 even though they work for all 30 and at times 31 days of the month,” he said besides pointing out that Home Guards are not given any leave whether casual or sick.
The Home Guards are also not entitled to Provident Fund or ESI benefits nor are they provided with the two sets of uniform nor paid the uniform allowance and stitch and maintain their uniforms at their own cost.
“Home Guards on traffic duty have to stand in the hot sun and also bear the dust caused by the vehicles but they are not even provided with a mask which is mandatory under the law,” said Shailendra, who regretted that the former chief minister late Manohar Parrikar ignored their problem and present chief minister is continuing with that.
“The Chief Minister has made a false claim that 62 Home Guards have been absorbed as police constables as not a single Home Guard has been upgraded even though the government had stated that those who have completed 10 years of service will be automatically absorbed as constables,” he said.
Rising Goans threatened to launch an agitation very shortly if the government does not solve the problems faced by the Home Guards.
