Home guards risk lives in dilapidated office

Shivamogga: Home Guards serving in Jog-Kargal town limits are reportedly working under life-threatening conditions due to a dangerously dilapidated office building near the Jog Bus Stand. Despite serving diligently during elections, festivals, and emergencies day and night, they are being forced to operate from a leaking, crumbling structure, sparking concerns over their safety and morale.

Located in Malnad, the area experiences heavy rainfall for four months, which causes extensive water leakage into the building. The Home Guards, numbering around 25 in this unit, keep their uniforms and operational gear at the office, which are now constantly at risk of being damaged by rainwater. There is no alternative shelter or infrastructure, forcing personnel to stay alert and operational from this deteriorating structure.

Repeated requests to the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd. (KPCL), which owns the property, to repair or renovate the building have gone unheard. According to reports, KPCL owns several vacant buildings in the area, many of which were previously used by retired employees and are now well-maintained but lying unused.

In contrast, the Home Guards, who have undergone police training and perform key security roles during critical times, are left to work in unsafe and unhygienic conditions. Despite appeals, KPCL officials have shown indifference, said local sources.

A new police station is nearing completion in Kargal, and once it becomes operational, the current police station building in Jog will become vacant. The Home Guard staff have formally requested that the vacated building be reassigned as their office, which would provide them a safe and dignified space to operate from.

Speaking to the media, Chetan, District Home Guards Commandant, stated:,“Jog has historically had one of the best Home Guard units in the district. Many KPCL employees once served here with pride. Today, the condition of our office is disgraceful.

We will submit a formal request to the District Superintendent of Police to allocate the soon-to-be-vacant Jog police station building for our use.” Currently, about 25 Home Guards serve in the town, assigned on a rotational monthly basis to the local police stations. With each guard waiting up to two years for their next deployment cycle, many are forced to take up daily-wage or private jobs to sustain themselves.

According to Siddaraju, Jog Unit Officer:“We’ve been appealing for building repairs for years, but no action has been taken. The situation worsens every monsoon. We need a proper office to function effectively. We hope higher authorities will respond.”

In the past, Home Guards were directly recruited by government departments, particularly in security roles. But in recent years, private contract-based appointments have marginalized trained Home Guard personnel, many of whom are now denied opportunities for active duty. The demand to reallocate the Jog police station building once it becomes vacant is gathering momentum. The Home Guards’ plight highlights the government’s neglect of essential personnel working at the grassroots level. Unless swift action is taken to provide safe and adequate infrastructure, the morale and efficiency of these trained individuals—who form a critical layer of local security—will continue to suffer.