BHOPAL: State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) will soon have units at the district level. Currently, the SDRF has units in Bhopal and some other major cities. Plans are also afoot to raise block-level units of the force.
Around 750 home guards will man the district units. They will be paid a salary which would be almost 50 per cent higher than what they were getting as home guards. Their training has been completed.
The SDRF units would become functional in all the 52 districts of the state. The objective is to reduce response time in case of natural and man-made disasters. Rules prescribe that SDRF has to be manned by the home guards. However, the home guards are not very keen to join the force because of the strenuous training they have to go through.
That is why; the government has decided to offer higher wages to the home guards joining SDRF. The monthly salary of home guards is around Rs 21,000. Those joining SDRF would be paid a salary of Rs 31,000 per month. The incentive has led to a rush among the home guards to join SDRF.
In the second phase, around 2,000 home guards would be drafted into the SDRF. A proposal to this effect has been sent to the government. Once it is cleared, the new recruits would be used to strengthen the district units and also raise units at the block level. Once this happens, the total strength of the SDRF would go up to around 3,500.
A programme will be organised at Bhopal by SDRF and home guards to mark the Home Guards Day on December 6. Home minister Bala Bachchan will be the chief guest at the event. Besides parade, a demonstration of the capabilities of the force would also be held at the function.
Plan to raise units at block level, too: Dohre
SDRF units have been established at the district level. Looking at the growing number of disasters, there is a plan to raise units at the block level, too. The training of the first batch of home guards drafted into SDRF has been completed. There passing out parade would be held at Bhopal on December 6.
-Ashok Dohre, DG, Home Guard and Disaster Management.
