The Hindu : Karnataka News : Academy of Home Guards coming up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 24, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

Academy of Home Guards coming up

By B.S. Ramesh

BANGALORE, MAY 22. The Department of Fire Force and Emergency Services has drawn up an ambitious proposal to set up an Academy of Home Guards in Bangalore.

The Director-General of Police (Fire Force and Emergency Services), M.D. Singh, told The Hindu on Saturday that the academy would come up on the premises of the Fire Force headquarters on Annaswamy Mudaliar Road in Ulsoor.

The academy, estimated to cost Rs. 1.4 crores, was likely to become operational in a year. The State Government had cleared the proposal and funds had been earmarked, he said.

Mr. Singh said the new academy would replace the old Home Guard School and Mess. Karnataka Land Army Corporation Ltd. would construct the building. The building plan was ready and construction was expected to commence shortly, he added.

The academy will not only train Home Guards from the State but those from elsewhere also. It will be equipped with the latest equipment, including tools for disaster management.

The department has planned to set up Home Guards training centres in all districts. While the training centre for Bangalore district will be set up in Rajajinagar, the centres in other districts will be set up in the respective headquarters.

These training centres will be linked to the academy. The Home Guard, after being trained at the centre, will be sent for advanced training at the academy. The academy is expected to function as a centre of excellence and impart advanced training in disaster management and related fields.

Mr. Singh said budgetary allocations had been made for setting up the training schools. He said the Finance Commission was not allotting funds for the Home Guards as it was in the case of the Fire Force. Instead, five per cent of the funds meant for modernisation of the police force would be given to Home Guards. If this norm were to be followed this year, the Home Guards would have received Rs. 7 crores from the police.

He said modern tools of disaster management had been acquired by the Home Guards. Besides, new and sophisticated equipment had been provided to the Home Guards.

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