India News | Row over Bus Marshals' Reinstatement Deepens as LG, AAP Shift Responsibility

New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) The dispute over the reinstatement and regularisation of bus marshals in Delhi escalated on Tuesday, with AAP government and LG VK Saxena shifting responsibility to each other.

The issue revolves around civil defence volunteers (CDVs) who were deployed as bus marshals to ensure safety in public buses but were terminated last year, leaving thousands unemployed.

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In a note, Lieutenant Governor Saxena criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over its handling of the scheme, asserting that it is the council of ministers' responsibility to formulate a comprehensive policy backed by budgetary provisions for engaging bus marshals.

Saxena also claimed that creating a scheme without proper legal and logistical support misled the CDVs into believing that they had secured government jobs.

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Calling on the AAP government to propose a framework for the deployment of personnel and create posts following due process, Saxena said in the note, "The onus, statutory, logistical, and indeed moral, for the engagement of CDVs through a considered scheme, duly processed as per law, lies solely on the council of ministers headed by the chief minister."

He also highlighted that a structured cadre of home guards under Delhi Police's supervision already exists and could be utilised for bus safety.

Notably, 263 CDVs were recently absorbed into home guard services following the LG's directives.

Responding to Saxena's note, AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the LG of being politically motivated and working to sabotage the scheme.

"More than 10,000 bus marshals, who were ensuring the safety of women in buses, were fired at the BJP's behest. Delhi government has repeatedly urged the LG to reinstate them, but the BJP's LG has no intention of providing employment. Now the BJP's LG has exposed himself by writing this note," Bharadwaj said at a press conference.

The AAP also maintained that the issue falls under the LG's jurisdiction, as it pertains to services and law and order.

The CDVs who previously served as bus marshals have staged multiple protests in the past, demanding permanent employment.

The termination of the CDVs followed a proposal approved by the LG last year, suggesting they be considered for home guard posts instead.

However, the ruling party of Delhi has argued that this shift disregards the contributions made by the bus marshals and leaves them vulnerable.

Last year, the LG 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 is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)