'Half work, double pay' for home guards in Noida; probe ordered

Salaries of scores of home guards deployed here were withdrawn despite them showing up for work during May and June, prompting officials to launch a probe into the matter.

About Rs 7.5 lakh were withdrawn in salaries of these home guards, who reported on duty for only 50 per cent of the times, while their attendance was marked for the entire period, officials said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Vaibhav Krishna said the matter came to light in July when a platoon commander of the home guards unit here approached him with the allegations.

"A preliminary inquiry was done and the allegations were found true. This malpractice was found at seven police stations of Noida after which a larger inquiry has been ordered across all the police stations in the district," Krishna told PTI.

Explaining the modus operandi, he said, "Suppose a home guard turned up for work for 10 days, he was shown present on duty for 20 days in the attendance register of the district commandant of the home guard. The guards salary was then withdrawn for 20 days, against his actual working of 10 days, and he would get salary of only 10 days."