BHOPAL: A day after the protesting Home Guards were warned of termination, the personnel resumed their duties on Tuesday. Even as the protesting home guards have returned to their work, the government taking note of the resentment brewing is now mulling over implementing 20-50 formula to trim the department’s strength by downsizing its number.
Under 20-50 formula, the appointing authority may retire a personnel from service at any time after he has completed 20 years qualifying service or he attains the age of 50 years whichever is earlier.
Thousands of home guards had staged demonstration at district headquarters on Monday raising their 6-point charter of demand which included regularization, withdrawal of medical fitness examination order among others.
On Tuesday a delegation of aggrieved Home Guards reached CM house and submitted a memorandum. The delegation was assured meeting with the chief minister on his return to the city. One of the delegation members said that they would file a petition in Supreme Court seeking withdrawal of the government order regarding medical fitness examination of home guards.
The personnel believe that the new order has been brought to bring down the number of personnel to cut down the salary budget. The department has been allocated Rs 300 crore in budget, while it needs around Rs 260 crore for disbursing 10-month salary to home guards. Now to pay salary for a 12 months, the department would need additional fund, which it doesn’t have and so it is coming up with new rules and regulations to cut down the number of its personnel, said one the protestors.
Steps towards downsizing personnel
1- Fitness test: The department had ordered the personnel to appear before Medical Board to obtain the medial certificate. This is said to be the first step towards implementing 20-50 formula as if a guard fails the fitness test, he or she may be terminated from the job.
“How at the age of 51 and after completing 29 years in service can I compete with 25-year-old man. Now the department is asking to appear before Medical Board to check fitness,” lamented one of the disgruntled home guards.
2 - Character Certificate: The HQ has served notices on home guards asking them to present ‘Character Certificate’ – the second step to trim the department’s strength under 20-50 formula.
The certificate has to obtain from the area police station under which the personnel is currently residing and also from police station of his native place. In case of negative views in certificate, the department might go ahead with removing the person from the job.
One of the Guards who received the notice informed Free Press that he and his family is under immense tension as he has completed his 25 years of the services and now the department has asked for the character certificate. There is something very fishy about the entire order, said the personnel.
