The Delhi government took the decision to post home guards on buses following Nirbhaya’s gang-rape.
They sit quietly, keeping a careful watch on passengers as the bus travels through the city in the dead of the night, ready to intervene if anything goes wrong. The uniformed men are Delhi government’s home guards posted on night buses to ensure the safety of commuters, especially women.
Around 120 home guards have been
specially roped in to provide security on night buses run by 21 bus
depots. The Delhi government took the decision to post home guards after
the brutal gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus in south Delhi on
December 16, last year.
Wearing khaki uniforms, these home guards are deployed in Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses from 11 pm to 7 am.
According to officials, the home guards
are mostly selected through an entrance exam and then have to face an
interview. The minimum qualification is Class X pass.
Those selected for the job then undergo
35 days defence and martial arts training. The home guards, who are not
provided arms, are paid `300 per night.
There are 46 bus depots across Delhi, of
which 21 ply buses during nights. “In night buses, lot of rogues or
drunkards travel. We have to keep an eye on these persons,” he said.
Officials said Delhi’s Rajghat bus depot
in central Delhi has the maximum number of home guards, 22, who travel
on buses, while the Hasan Pur depot in east Delhi has the second highest
number of 10 home guards.
“Around 50 buses head for the airport
from Rajghat. So, the need for home guards is maximum here,” DTC
spokesperson Anand Kumar said.
Safety for women
Since the service was introduced, no
complaints have been reported so far by any woman commuter. The home
guards are performing their duty well. Surprise checks are also
conducted by transport department officials, ,” Delhi Transport Minister
Ramakant Goswami said.
Source: http://postnoon.com/2013/05/15/home-guards-keep-delhi-buses-safe/125474
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