Punjab gives relief to families of deceased home guard volunteers

Chandigarh : After running from pillar to post for over one decade, there is some relief for the families of 858 home guard volunteers who died while on duty.

"In a major relief to the 858 families of home guard volunteers who had died while on duty after January 1, 2007, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ordered enrolment of their dependents as volunteers," a Punjab government spokesman said here on Thursday.

The decision marks the single largest enrolment of home guard volunteers done on compassionate grounds in the history of Punjab, the spokesman said.

"The kin of the deceased have already completed 45 days of basic training, making them eligible for enrolment, said an official spokesperson, adding that the Chief Minister has given his nod for their formal induction," he added.