Delhi CM directs continuation of civil defence volunteers as bus marshals

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has issued directions for the continuation of civil defence volunteers as bus marshals and the initiation of proceedings against secretaries of transport and finance departments for delaying their salaries, officials said on Wednesday.
In a note to Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot, the chief minister also asked for the release of pending payments of bus marshals before Diwali, they said.
Kejriwal said home guards are to be expeditiously deployed as bus marshals in the city, and until such engagement and deployment is completed, civil defence volunteers serving as bus marshals are to be continued so that the safety of women passengers is not compromised.
In his note, the chief minister also directed Gahlot to initiate the process of suspension and disciplinary action against Ashish Kundra, principal secretary and transport commissioner, and Ashish Verma, principal secretary of finance, for allegedly causing a delay in the payment of salaries to bus marshals, the officials said.
The bus marshals are currently on an indefinite sit-in at the Delhi Secretariat, demanding the payment of their pending wages.
In a circular on Tuesday, the Directorate of Civil Defence said civil defence volunteers are to be called on duty only for dealing with “disaster management and hostile attack”.
Previously, Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena approved a proposal of the chief minister for the termination of civil defence volunteers. The move came about after it was pointed out by officers that civil defence volunteers can not be deployed on regular duties like bus marshals.