MEMBERS OF GRAM RAKSHA DAL ARE NOT GETTING SALARY FOR 40 YEARS

MEMBERS OF GRAM RAKSHA DAL ARE NOT GETTING SALARY FOR 40 YEARS

1-MAY-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------The members of the Gram Raksha Dal in Ara, Bihar have been struggling fokr their demands for the last 40 years but they have been ignored by the government. The soldiers of the Gram Raksha Dal who play a role in the protection and development of the villages and panchayats are now forced to struggle for their existence. They have been performing their duties withot salary for the last 40 years but now it has become difficult for them to run the families. Most of the members of the Gram Raksha Dal have now started working as labourers.

The members of the Gram Raksha Dal have started working as labourers from carrying bicks on their heads and working at grocery shops or working as labourers in agriculture in the villages because the government is not paying them for their work. But even after that, these members of the Gram Raksha Dal have been doing their duty considering it as their moral duty. Their duty is not limited to Corona period, government programmes and even when wherever the Chief Minister, Bihar Nitish Kumar visits any district of the State for his programmes, members of the Gram Raksha Dal are deployed. These members perform their duties without hesitation even during that time but they do not get allowance for their work.

There are 2800 Gram Raksha Dal members, 40 percent of them are women and 60 percent are men, in Bhojpur district of Bihar in all the 14 blocks of the district. In 1980-1985, after command was issued, they got Rs. 175 per day but since, the Gram Raksha Dal members have not received a single penny. The Gram Raksha Dal was abolished by the government in 2004 but even after they were made to work. They were allotted duty even during the Colona period. All the members did their duties honestly but they did not get allowance for it. This situation is now becoming abnormal and they and even their family members are destined to starve.

Kamla Devi of Buxar who joined the Gram Raksha Dal 14 years ago, said that she has been working in the Gram Raksha Dal for 14 years but the government has turned a Nelson’s eye to them and she was not paid even a single penny for her duty in these 14 years. She does duty wherever she is assigned in Chhath, Panchayat, Villages. She added that she had four members in the family and 12 year old daughter and 10 year old son and they have to work as labourers to educate them and run our lives. She stated that she and other memebers of the Gram Raksha Dal want to tell the government to release their allowances regularly so that they can run their family.

Suman Devi and her husband Bablu are both in the Gram Raksha Dal but now both of them are doing different jobs to support their family. Suman Devi is running a small grocery shop while Bablu is working as a labouer in the village. Suman Devi said that when she got married, she came to her in-laws’ house and in-laws’ supported her. Both husband and wife did their duty in the Gram Raksha Dal but the government never paid them for their work. There are five members in the family and all of them are starving. She said if the government did not pay for their duty, they will be compelled to leave the Gram Raksha Dal and take up labour.

Another member of the Gram Raksha Dal Suman from Buxar said that she did her duty even during the Corona period amidst all odds but the government did not give a single penny. We follow every order of the government and wherever the governemt assigns duty, they work there. Even uniform, cap, stick, shoes and everything has to be bought with their own money. I just want the government to pay so that they can support their families.

Gram Raksha Dal member Chandrama said that he has been in this team since 2014 and has been working continuously but without money till now. He has to carry bricks on his head and wears uniform and also work as a labourer in the village. He said that he wants to educate his son and get him a government job but his dream does not seem to be fulfilled by working as a labourer.

Ravindra Kumar Sharma of Bhojpur has also been in the Gram Raksha Dal for the last 10 years but he never gets salary for his work. Now he has finally started working at a wood shop. There is no ray of hope from the government but all the members have expectatiosn from the government.

On the other hand, Bihar Gram Raksha Dal’s participant, Jitendra Kumar said that the Gram Raksha Dal has been struggling for the sustenance with the government for the last several decades regarding its 15-point demands. We had filed a case in the Patna High Court in February 2024 and the High Court had ordered on August 6, 2024 that a copy of the demand of the Bihar State Gram Raksha Dal should be given to the Secretary of Panchayati Raj, Secretrary okf Home Department, District Magistrate and other 9 departments. After which all the members gave the deputation certificates and training certificates to the Block Development Officer and they also submitted the letter on November 27, 2224 but the government sat tight over the order of the High Court and no action has so far been taken. All the members are adamant about their demands for the last 40 years but the government is not ready to listen to their demands.

It may be mentioned here that the process of becoming a member is done through the organization in which members are made through the founder and general secretary and instructor of the Gram Swayamsevak Dal of Bihar. Before becoming a member, a letter had to be given to the president/secretary of the Panchayat. After this, application is given to the instructor from the block to the district. One should be physically and mentally fit and the age to become a member should be between 18 and 30 years. The age of superannuation is fixed at 60 years. There are members of Bihar State Gram Raksha Dal are 2500 in Buxar, 1100 in Rohtas, 600 in Kaimur, 500 in Patna, 300 in Chhapra, 1000 in Gopalganj, 400 in Lakhisarai, 1500 in Bhagalpur, 800 in Katihar, 600 in Nalanda, 200 in Jehanabad, 400 in Gaya, 200 in Aurangabad, 300 in Madhubani and 200 in Darbhanga.