Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 15 October 2024
In response to growing concerns over the prolonged delay in filling vacant Home Guard posts, Mr. Bishnu Pada Ray, Hon’ble Member of Parliament for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, has called upon the Chief Secretary of the A&N Administration to take immediate action. During a recent meeting with a large group of former Home Guards, Mr. Ray was briefed on their grievances, prompting him to write a detailed letter to the administration, urging them to address the issue.
In his letter, Mr. Ray highlighted that around 500 Home Guard positions have remained vacant since 2020. The recruitment process for these posts has been stalled, allegedly due to pending amendments to the Home Guard Rules. Mr. Ray pointed out that, as per established legal provisions, vacancies arising before the amendment of rules must be filled according to the current rules. Any subsequent vacancies, he noted, should be filled as per the amended regulations. Given that these vacancies have persisted for over four years, he emphasized that delaying recruitment on the basis of pending amendments is unjustifiable.
The correspondence regarding the amendment of the Home Guard Rules has been ongoing for more than four years, but a final decision is yet to be made. Mr. Ray expressed concern that the lack of progress not only deprives the youth of the islands of short-term employment opportunities but also poses a potential risk to the overall performance of law enforcement and security arrangements within the jurisdiction of the A&N Police.
In light of this, Mr. Ray has requested the Chief Secretary’s immediate intervention to expedite the recruitment process and fill the vacant posts at the earliest. He also urged the administration to either finalize the proposed amendments swiftly or, if the process is expected to take longer, proceed with recruitment under the existing rules to avoid further delays.
Additionally, Mr. Ray suggested that preference be given to former Home Guards who had satisfactorily served during their previous tenures, ensuring they are considered for re-employment.