Delhi LG approves redeployment of Civil Defence volunteers amidst air pollution crisis

     New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) In a move to tackle the ongoing air pollution crisis in the national capital, Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Wednesday approved the redeployment of Civil Defence Volunteers (CDVs) for a four-month period from November 1, 2024 to February 28, 2025.
     The decision marks a reversal of the previous termination of the CDV services, effective November 1, 2023.
     Saxena also urged the Delhi government to formulate a dedicated scheme for bus marshals, as he outlined in a letter to the chief minister on October 24, 2024, and reiterated on November 2, 2024, an official statement from the Raj Niwas said.
     The lieutenant governor emphasised the need for a well-defined scheme that clarifies the roles, rationale and service conditions for bus marshals, the statement said.
     According to the statement, the lieutenant governor has also directed the government to take immediate steps towards creating official posts and ensuring budgetary provisions, aiming to resolve the issue with a long-term structured plan.
     Responding to the development, the AAP said that the Delhi government has committed to providing all budgetary support needed for the civil volunteers.
     "Since the creation of a scheme for bus marshals is a services as well as law and order subject, the LG is requested to make a scheme for bus marshals," an official statement of the AAP said.
     Senior bureaucrats have given in writing to the Delhi government that only the lieutenant governor is empowered to make policy for the bus marshals, it added.
     The removal of over 10,000 civil defence volunteers, who had previously been deployed as bus marshals, was initiated following objections from the Directorate of Civil Defence.
     The Directorate argued that these volunteers were initially intended for disaster management roles and not for public transport security.
     The lieutenant governor had last year approved the proposal to terminate the deployment of CDVs as bus marshals and recommended that the then Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal consider utilising these volunteers in the over 10,000 sanctioned posts of home guards, highlighting the need for a better-aligned use of their skills and services.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)