Govt urges LG to make 10K bus marshals permanent

New Delhi : Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Monday said her government is sending a proposal to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena for the formulation of a policy on retaining 10,000 bus marshals on permanent basis. Atishi in a press conference said that the removal of bus marshals has led to a rise in crimes against women on public transport buses.

At an all-minister meeting held on Sunday, the Transport Commissioner indicated that decisions on reinstating bus marshals fall under the authority of the Lieutenant Governor as it is a service-related matter, the chief minister said. She said the Delhi government is moving ahead with a proposal on an "as-is, where-is" basis, while it waits for a policy from the LG.

"The Delhi government is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens and will provide the necessary financial resources for the marshals' salaries," Atishi said. She also expressed fear that the LG may "take months or even years" in coming up with a permanent solution to the matter.

Delhi Health and Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who was also present at the press conference, criticised the LG's handling of the matter, asserting that the matter must be dealt with urgently.

He claimed that the transport officer appointed by the LG has classified the issue as a "reserved" subject, limiting the state's ability to take immediate action. "Given the LG's track record, we anticipate significant delays in the formulation of a permanent policy, which is why we are pushing for an interim solution to reinstate marshals 'as-is, where-is' basis," Bharadwaj said. The removal of over 10,000 civil defence volunteers, who had been deployed as bus marshals, was prompted by an objection from the Directorate of Civil Defence. The Directorate argued that the volunteers were originally designated for disaster management duties, not public transport security.

Meanwhile, Saxena on Monday approved the recruitment of 701 nurses and 762 paramedical staff, the Raj Niwas said.

This recruitment drive of 1,463 healthcare staff, facilitated through public sector undertakings (PSU), allows hospitals to onboard essential personnel under a direct recruitment quota with relaxed recruitment rules, the statement from the LG's office said. The decision to recruit healthcare workers on an outsourced basis aims to bolster the city's healthcare infrastructure and alleviate the strain on existing medical staff, it added.