No assembly polls duty for striking Bihar home guards

Bihar government has decided not to deploy the Home Guards, who are on strike for the past one week, on duty for assembly polls due later this year, an official said on Friday.

"Home Guards personnel would not be deployed during the next state assembly elections. Only state police and central para-military forces would be deployed on polls duty," Bihar DGP P.K. Thakur said.

The Home Guards threatened on Friday to intensify their stir after thousands of them courted arrest across Bihar on Thursday.

On Thursday, the state government filed an FIR against 18 Home Guards personnel and 150 unidentified people following the death of a patient who was stuck in traffic for hours due to "chakka jam" on Gandhi Setu bridge here the previous day, police said.

The state government has warned the Home Guards of strict action if they are found involved in violence and damaging public property.

Thousands of protesting Home Guards in Bihar forcibly halted dozens of trains and blocked major roads on Wednesday to protest the state government's failure to fulfil their demands.

They are demanding increase in pay, accidental coverage during duty and post-retirement benefits from the Bihar government.

The Home Guards have been petitioning the state government for the past several years for the fulfilment of their demands.

According to state home department officials, the Home Guards are deployed for traffic regulation and at banks, jails and police stations.