VDP volunteers demand honorarium hike before Aug 15, warn of boycott

A CORRESPONDENT

TANGLA: Volunteers of the Village Defence Party (VDP), a grassroots-level force assisting Assam Police in maintaining law and order, expressed strong resentment over the apathetic attitude of the state government towards addressing their concerns including the decision of distributing honorarium of Rs 2500 among 25 members, which was introduced in 2018 by the Government of Assam to support the registered Village Defence Parties (VDPs). The Xadou Assam Gaon Rakhi Bahini Xamanayrakhi Samity central committee in its organizational meet held at Amrit Bhawan in Tangla town of Udalguri district on Sunday, wherein volunteers from several districts including Jorhat, Sonitpur, Udalguri, Nalbari, Kamrup, Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, Baksa, and Chirang, convened and voiced their deep concern over the indifferent attitude of the government to address their issues of increasing their honorarium. The volunteers alleged that despite their continued service, the government had failed to even release the honorarium for 27 months, thereby neglecting their contribution to internal security and public welfare. “From guarding oil pipelines and railway tracks to acting as first responders during floods and accidents, we are always at the forefront. Yet, the government’s apathy towards our livelihood is demoralizing,” said the VDP President Krishna Bahadur Giri.

He further pointed out that in 2022 alone, VDP members across Assam lodged 1,774 FIRs related to child marriage cases and often had to appear in court as witnesses, spending from their own pockets. “Despite our repeated attempts to meet Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to submit a memorandum, we were never granted an appointment,” Giri added. Echoing the same sentiments, President of the Udalguri district VDP unit Silon Sangma, stated, “Since 2018, the VDP secretaries have been receiving Rs 2,500 as monthly honorarium. But for the past four years, this amount is being divided among 25 members, which is a mockery of our voluntary and dedicated service.”

The VDP organization demanded an increase of the monthly honorarium in line with the increase of honorarium of Gaon Pradhans before August 15. The volunteers also warned that failure to address their grievances could result in the boycott of election duties and withdrawal from voluntary patrolling, which could severely impact rural law enforcement. Pertinently, the Village Defence Organisation (VDO), conceptualized by Late Harinarayan Barua in 1949, has evolved from a local ‘Gaonrakhyi Bahini’ into a structured force of over 22,000 registered Village Defence Parties (VDPs) spread across Assam. Their functions range from patrolling, crime prevention, crowd control during elections, to conducting awareness drives and even responding to natural disasters.

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