UP: 12000 home guards go on strike demanding salary hike

Around 12,000 home guards posted in 10 districts of Western Uttar Pradesh today abstained from duty demanding hike in salary.
The agitators, under the banner of Uttar Pradesh Honorary home Guards Association, also staged a sit-in here to press their demand of salary hike.
A memorandum, addressed to the chief minister, was handed over to the Ghaziabad district magistrate, said Davendra Chowdhary, district president of the Association.
Addressing the striking home guards, Association leader Sujit Kumar Giri said UP is the only state where the home guards are getting a salary of Rs 225 per day whereas home guards in Telangana and Punjab get Rs 500.

UP's 1,17,443-member strong home guard department is the country's biggest disciplinary force supporting the civil police in maintenance of law and order.
The government must hike the salary of home guard and provide them facilities similar to that of police force, Giri said.