Rs 9,000 Per Month Salary Is "Exploitation", Court Tells Odisha To Reconsider Home Guards Wages

The bench directs the State Government to reconsider its earlier decision of paying Rs 9,000 per month only to the home guards.

The Supreme Court has expressed displeasure over low salary of home guards in Odisha and directed the state government to reconsider its decision of paying Rs 9,000 per month.

A bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna noted that home guards in Odisha are being paid only Rs 9,000 per month i.e. Rs 300 per day.

The Supreme Court also took note that many of the home guards are working for more than 15 years, while police personnel in the state are getting approximately Rs 21,700 per month (after six years of their contractual appointment) along with dearness allowance as per the recommendations made by the Seventh Pay Commission.

"To pay Rs 9,000 per month is nothing but an exploitation. How a home guard can survive and maintain his family members on payment of Rs 9,000 per month only when he is performing almost the same/similar duties performed by other police personnel.