CM Sukhu announces 180-day maternity leave for home guards

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Friday, announced that women home guards would be provided 180 days of maternity leave. The daily allowance for home guards during deployment outside the state would be increased from Rs 60 to Rs 500, a provision for which would be made in the next budget.Presiding over the 62nd state-level Raising Day celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh home guards and civil defence at The Ridge in Shimla, the CM said that the govt would fill 700 vacant home guard posts to strengthen the force. Additionally, funds would be allocated for the construction of the state disaster relief fund (SDRF) headquarters in Palampur and the Kangra unit campus. Sukhu announced the sanction of new landline numbers at the SDRF control room to facilitate the people. The state govt would also establish drone stations at all district headquarters to enhance disaster management capabilities.Sukhu emphasised the govt’s commitment to modernising the state disaster response force (SDRF) with advanced equipment and allocating sufficient funds for this purpose. “Presently, SDRF is equipped with drones capable of lifting up to 5 kg, and this force would soon receive drones with higher payload capacities to meet operational demands,” he added. The home guards have already conducted nearly 31,000 rescue and relief operations during the last decade, saving 3,600 lives and protecting properties worth over Rs 10,000 crore, said Sukhu.The CM said that the state govt was improving the SDRF’s infrastructure, designating the home guards as first responders during natural disasters and integrating them under the SDRF for faster response. We also published the following articles recently