The Punjab government is reconsidering its plan to deploy 5,000 home guards along the International Border with Pakistan and is instead considering the use of police constables for this purpose.
This shift is driven by fiscal concerns, as the state is currently responsible for covering 75% of the honorarium (25% is shared by the Centre) for home guards, which amounts to a significant financial burden.
According to a senior government official, for ‘border home guards’, the Union home ministry has some specific guidelines under which they pay a volunteer ₹45 per day as basic perks.
Currently, the state’s share of the cost for a home guard’s honorarium is around ₹19,900 per month, in addition to a 42% dearness allowance. Given the high cost of recruiting new home guards, the state is exploring the option of deploying police constables, who would likely be more cost-effective since they are already part of the regular state payroll.
The initiative to establish a second line of defence along the border, in partnership with the Border Security Force (BSF), was first introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Finance minister Harpal Cheema had allocated ₹110 crore for this purpose in the 2025-26 budget, highlighting the government’s commitment to border security.
{{/usCountry}}The initiative to establish a second line of defence along the border, in partnership with the Border Security Force (BSF), was first introduced by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Finance minister Harpal Cheema had allocated ₹110 crore for this purpose in the 2025-26 budget, highlighting the government’s commitment to border security.
{{/usCountry}}“For the first time in Punjab’s history, the government will establish a second line of defence at the border by deploying 5,000 home guards alongside the BSF,” Cheema said while presenting the state budget. He also said that the biggest threat to the progress and prosperity of Punjab is the problem of drugs. “An entire generation of youth is being eaten hollow from within due to drugs,” Cheema said, adding: “The bulk of drugs coming to Punjab are smuggled from across the border and it is the primary responsibility of the Union government to halt cross-border smuggling of drugs and arms.”
A senior official in the home department confirmed that this new proposal to replace home guards with police constables will be discussed in upcoming government meetings. While the shift would ease the financial burden on the state, questions remain about the potential impact on border security effectiveness.