Delhi minister wades into politics over civil volunteers

A day after the Delhi government's announcement that more than 8,000 civil defence volunteers (CDVs) posted as bus marshals will be hired as Home Guards set off a credit war between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and the lietutenant governor, Delhi transport minister Kailash Gahlot on Saturday said that the CDVs "will not lose their jobs".

- Alok KN Mishra

Gahlot reiterated the government's position that it was the chief minister who pushed the case for hiring the CDVs, who do contractual jobs and were not receiving salaries since April, as Home Guards.

"There have been continuous instructions from CM Arvind Kejriwal that bus marshals will not be removed. I also wrote repeatedly on the concerned file that bus marshals play a critical role in women's safety, and they should not be removed. The revenue department raised objections that Civil Defense Volunteers cannot be assigned the task of bus marshals. Then, the CM directed that if civil volunteers cannot be deployed (as bus marshals), then they should be hired as Home Guards. This proposal has been sent to LG," Gahlot said in a press conference at his residence in south Delhi.