2k Home Guard volunteers withdrawn from DTC buses

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 21

Around 2,000 Home Guard volunteers deployed as marshals in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses to check crime against women have been “temporarily withdrawn” even as Civil Defence volunteers will continue to be on ground in the buses.

The decision was approved by Lt Governor Anil Baijal in order to attach the Home Guard volunteers with the Delhi Police in view of municipal corporation polls slated for April 22.

A senior official in the Directorate General of Home Guards said the step has been taken in 

run up to the MCD polls for which they will be deployed with the police as ordered by the Lt 

Governor. 

He said the withdrawn has been made for a certain time and they will be sent back after the elections.

In January, the Aam Adami Party (AAP) government had come out with a list of 2,980 marshals comprising Home Guard and Civil Defence volunteers deployed in the DTC buses in response to attacks of the opposition BJP that there were not enough security guards in the vehicles.

According to the government, the deployment of marshals is mandatory in all DTC-run buses later during the day.

Importantly, deployment of marshalls in the buses was one of the pre-poll promises of the AAP to prevent crimes, especially against women passengers, in buses.