Question : HOME GUARDS

(a) whether the Government have received any memorandum/letter from National Senior General Secretary of All India Home Guards Welfare Association, New Delhi regarding cancellation of the recruitment of 3000 new Home Guard Jawans;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) the action taken thereon alongwith the outcome thereof;

(d) whether there is any rule to induct only 3000 jawans in Delhi Home Guard and whether the prescribed strength is only 3000;

(e) if so, the reasons therefor;

(f) the year-wise number of officers and jawans in Delhi Home Guard since the year 1995 till date;

(g) the total expenditure being incurred on the officers and jawans of various categories in Delhi Home Guard; and

(h) the year-wise details of total amount sanctioned under various heads for various departments between the period 1995 and 2002 alongwith the details of actual expenditure incurred thereon?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI I.D.SWAMI)

(a) & (b): The `All India Home Guard Welfare Association`, in its Memorandum dated the 26th July, 2002 demanded cancellation of the on-going enrolment of 3000 Home Guard Volunteers by the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and re-induction of 696 Home Guard Volunteers who were discharged earlier on completion of their tenure.

(c): The Home Guards is a voluntary organization. As per the provisions contained in the Bombay Home Guards Act, 1947, as extended to the National Capital Territory of Delhi, the tenure allowed to a Home Guard Volunteer is three years on the expiry of which period he is liable to be discharged. In order to maintain the voluntary character of this organization the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi have taken a policy decision that the discharged Home Guard Volunteers would not be considered in the present enrolment process.

(d) & (e): The prescribed strength of Home Guards in Delhi is 10,285. However, the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi have decided to enroll only 3000 Home Guard Volunteers in the present phase of enrolment to ensure quality in selection and training of such candidates.

(f): The year-wise strength of Home Guards in Delhi during the relevant period was:

Year Strength of Officers and Jawans
1995 9361	1996 9670	1997 9898	1998 9846	1999 9993	2000 8314	2001 6095	2002 1543

Year Expenditure in Rupees
1995-96 37941292	1996-97 30468736	1997-98 37086036	1998-99 35556277	1999-2000 55051065	2000-2001 45697122	2001-2002 49940351