Slight increase in daily allowance of home guards

Bhubaneswar: The state govt has slightly increased the daily duty allowance for home guards, raising it from Rs 623 to Rs 639. According to a notification from the home department issued last week, this revised allowance, amounting to a monthly salary of Rs 19,170, will be applied retroactively from July 1, 2025, in compliance with a Supreme Court directive dated March 17, 2023.Currently, the home guard wing in the state comprises about 17,000 personnel, although the sanctioned strength is 20,175. These non-govt auxiliary force members, who serve as volunteers, are a crucial part of Odisha’s police operations, including patrolling, station operations, traffic management, operating police vehicles, intelligence gathering, providing VIP security, enforcing laws, and managing the police control room (PCR) system.“Unlike regular police officers who receive monthly salaries along with various allowances and benefits, our income is solely based on daily duty attendance, with deductions for any absences. We do not receive additional benefits or retirement packages,” said a home guard.