Due to the non-availability of funds, the Uttarakhand government has withdrawn 2,900 Provincial Rakshak Dal (PRD) volunteers deployed in traffic management and police stations across the state. From this month, their services have been discontinued following instructions issued by the Directorate of Youth Welfare and Provincial Rakshak Dal to district-level officers.
According to officials, the department does not currently have the required budget to continue the deployment of these volunteers. PRD Director Ashish Chauhan said that a large number of volunteers were deployed during the Char Dham Yatra, and even after that, some were retained based on administrative requirements. However, with the sanctioned budget now exhausted, the department was forced to end their duties.
At present, more than 10,000 PRD volunteers are registered in the state, out of which 7,514 are currently on duty in various departments. These include police stations and outposts, Secretariat, Vidhan Sabha, Excise Department, RTO, Mandi Samiti, Social Welfare, Jal Sansthan, Education and Technical Education departments. Among them are 908 women and 6,608 male volunteers.
Department officials said that out of these, 2,900 PRD volunteers were specifically deployed in different districts during the Char Dham Yatra in May 2024. For this purpose, a budget of ₹32 crore was approved. Once the budget period ended, their services were discontinued. Officials clarified that some volunteers may be re-engaged if fresh funds are released by the directorate.
Dehradun District Youth Welfare and Provincial Rakshak Dal Officer Pramod Chandra Pandey said that deployment of PRD volunteers depends entirely on budget availability and departmental demand. He added that approval for their duties was available only till December, and fresh deployment will be possible only after new demands and budget allocation.
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Meanwhile, PRD volunteers have expressed strong resentment over the decision. Pradesh Coordinator of Provincial Rakshak Dal Interest Organisation, Pramod Mandrawal, said that while salaries and allowances of officers continue to increase, PRD volunteers are left without job security. He said the department has existed since 1948, but volunteers are engaged only when required and removed once the work is over. He added that with upcoming festivals and household responsibilities, it has become difficult for families to survive without regular income.
