Bhubaneswar: After the Supreme Court upheld the Orissa High Court order to pay Rs.533 duty allowance a day to home guards in Odisha on March 17, the State Government on Thursday enhanced the duty call-up allowance.
As many as 17,765 home guards will be benefited with a financial implication of Rs.51.78 lakh on the government per day. The annual financial implication would come to Rs 189 crores if they are engaged 365 days a year.
The order issued by the Home Department stated that, “In supersession of this Department order No.42001/CD, dtd.06.12.2022, Government have been pleased to enhance the Duty Call-up Allowance of Home Guards from Rs.423/- (Rupees Four hundred twenty three) only to Rs.533/- ( Rupees Five hundred thirty three) only per day as per kind judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated. 17.03.2023 passed in C.A. No.8836/2022, C.A. No.8837/2022 and C.A. No.8838/2022.”
Under the existing policy, expenditure on duty call-up allowance is payable by the agency at whose instance the Home Guards are called up for duty. The home guards are currently getting Rs 240 a day.
While dismissing the appeal of the state government, the two-judge bench of Justice M R Shah and Justice M M Suresh had clarified that the arrears at the rate of Rs 533 a day shall be paid from June 1, 2018 and not January 2020, as directed by the Orissa High Court.
Initially, acting on a petition filed in the Orissa high court by three home guards, a single judge on February 28, 2020 directed for payment of DCA at Rs 533 a day to home guards taking into consideration the remuneration paid to the constables in the lowest rank of the state police from November 10, 2016.
Later, a division bench confirmed the single judge’s judgment and order, but directed for payment of arrears from January 2020 instead of November 10, 2016. The home guards – Prakash Kumar Jena and two others appealed against it in the Supreme Court. Their plea was taken up with the state government’s appeal. Advocate Satyabrata Mohanty argued on behalf of the home guards.
