Punjab home guards hold protest, demand financial benefits

Home guards of Punjab on Tuesday held a protest at Solkhian toll plaza near Bhagwantpur village in Rupnagar to press for their long-standing demands.

Home guards of the state on Tuesday held a protest at Solkhian toll plaza near Bhagwantpur village in Rupnagar to press for their long-standing demands pertaining to the implementation of 6th Pay Commission and pension or an old-age allowance.

Sub-divisional magistrate Rupnagar said the meeting of the protesters with the officials has been fixed in the chief minister’s office. (HT photo)

Kanwaljit Singh, president of Punjab Home Guards Association said, “We want the government to implement 6th pay commission and pension for us. The government employees get dearness allowance but we don’t get it. Our elders don’t get pension. It is difficult to survive in such case.”

Manoj Kapila, national president of National Home Guards Association, said, “I have been on service for last 32 years. We were deployed on most sensitive duties. Our home guards were on the forefront during Covid-19. We have submitted many memorandums since 2015 but our demands were always ignored.”

Sanjeev Kalra, special DGP Home Guards, said, “We have already informed the government about the demands of home guards. There are two major demands of the home guards. People who are serving want implementation of pay commission while the retired guards are demanding some kind of pension.”

Harbans Singh, sub-divisional magistrate Rupnagar, said, “The meeting of the protesters with the officials has been fixed in the chief minister’s office.”