Odisha civil defence volunteers decry lowest pay in country

BHUBANESWAR: Centre’s directive to states for strengthening civil defence readiness amid escalating India-Pakistan tensions has exposed a serious concern in Odisha with a substantial exodus of civil defence volunteers, primarily attributed to insufficient remuneration. The volunteers have said the govt pays them only Rs 31 per day, which is the lowest in the country, resulting in significant personnel loss.Data from the state civil defence unit reveals varying per-day allowances across states: Rs 732 in Delhi, Rs 590 in Rajasthan, Rs 565 in West Bengal, Rs 532 in Haryana, Rs 400 in Bihar, Rs 300 in Karnataka, Rs 250 in Jharkhand and Rs 200 in Maharashtra. The number of civil defence volunteers in Odisha has drastically reduced from 21,000 a decade ago to merely 753 active members currently, with 401 stationed in Bhubaneswar, official sources said. The organisation functions under the state directorate of fire services, home guards and civil defence. Unlike govt-recruited firefighters and home guards, civil defence volunteers are enrolled into the voluntary service through a simple application process. “Many enrolled civil defence volunteers deserted the organisation for alternate livelihood because of the low allowance. Some of us have been working hard (not for money) only to keep the organisation alive,” a civil defence volunteer said requesting anonymity. Another civil defence volunteer said, “Even though the ministry of home affairs in a notification (No 810-931) on Sept 12, 2024 advised the Odisha govt to revise our duty allowance from Rs 31 to Rs 150 per day & training allowance from Rs 28 to Rs 140 per day, it has not been implemented yet.”