Rajasthan Home Guards Act, 1963

(Act No. 9 of 1963)

RJ92

[Received the assent of the Governor on the 5th day of April, 1963]

An Act to provide for the constitution of Home Guards for use in emergencies and for other purposes in the State of Rajasthan.

Be it enacted by the Rajasthan State Legislature in the Fourteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be called the Rajasthan Home Guards Act. 1963.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Rajasthan.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

Object & Reasons6

Object.-Police force is not always sufficient to cope with the work relating to the protection of persons, security or property, public safety and the like. hence. this Act provides for the constitution of the subsidiary force for the aid if Police personnel at times of emergency and need other works of public welfare are also entrusted to the Home Guards from time to time, e.g. preparation of Ration cards, etc. Members of Home Guards are public servants as per Section 21 of Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860)

Constitution of Home Guards and appointment of Commandant General, Deputy Commandant General and Commandant.- (1) The State Government shall.' by notification constitute for such areas of the State as it may consider expedient, a volunteer body called the Home Guards, the members of which shall discharge such functions and duties in relation to time protection of persons, the security of property and the public safety as may be assigned to them in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.

(2) The State Government shall appoint a Commandant of each of the Home Guards constituted under sub-section (1).

(3) The State Government may also appoint a Deputy Commandant General of the Home Guards. who shall, subject to the supervision and Control of the commandant General, exercise the powers conferred on the Commandant General in such circumstances as the Commandant General may specify.

Appointment of members.- (1) Subject to the approval of the Commandant General, the Commandant may appoint as members of the Home Guards such number of persons, who are fit and willing to serve, as may from time to time be determined by the State Government, and may appoint any such member to any office of command in the Home Guards.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) the commandant General may subject to the approval of the State Government, appoint any such member to any post under his immediate control.

Functions and duties of members.- (1) The Commandant may at any time call out a member of the home Guards for training or to discharge any of the functions or duties assigned to the Home Guards in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.

(2) The commandant General may in emergency call out a member of the home Guards for training or to discharge any of the functions or duties in any part of the State of Rajasthan.

Powers, protection and control.- (1) A member of the Home Guards when called out under Section 4 shall have the same powers, privileges and protection as an officer of police appointed under any Act for the time being in force.

(2) No prosecution shall be instituted against a member of the Home Guards in respect of anything done or purporting to be done by him in the discharge of his functions of duties as such member except with the previous sanction of the District Magistrate.

control by officers of police force.- The members of the Home Guards when called out under Section 4 in aid of the police force shall be under the control of the officers of the police force in such manner and to such extent as may be prescribed by rules made under Section 10.
Certificate, arms etc. to be delivered by person ceasing to be a member.- (1) Every person who for any reason ceases to be a member of the Home Guards shall forthwith deliver up to the Commandant or to such person and at such place as the Commandant may direct, his certificate of appointment or of office and the arms, accoustrements, clothing and other necessaries which have been furnished to him as such member.

(2) Any Magistrate, and for special reasons which shall be recorded in writing at time, any police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Inspector General of Police may issue a warrant to search for and seize wherever they may be found any certificate. arms, accoustrements, clothing or other necessaries not so delivered up. Every warrant so issued shall be executed in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Central Act V of 1898), by a police officer or. if the Magistrate or the police officer issuing the warrant so directs, by any other person.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to apply to any article which under the orders of the Commandant General has become the property of the person to whom the same was furnished.

Punishment of members for neglect of duty etc.- (1) The Commandant shall have the authority to suspend, reduce or dismiss or fine, to an amount not exceeding fifty rupees, any member of the Home Guards, under his control, if such member, without reasonable cause, on being called out under Section 4 neglect or refuses to obey such or to discharge his functions and duties as a member of Home Guards or to obey any lawful order or direction given to him for the performance of his functions and duties or is guilty of any beach of discipline or misconduct. The Commandant shall also have the authority to dismiss any member of the Home Guards on the ground of conduct which has led to his conviction for the commission of an offence involving moral turpitude or an offence against this Act. The Commandant General shall have the like authority in respect of any member of the Home Guards appointed to a post under his immediate control.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Commandant shall have the authority to discharge any member of the Home Guards at any time subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, if, in the opinion of the Commandant, the services of such members are no longer required. The Commandant General shall have the like authority in respect of any member of the Home Guards appointed to a post under his immediate control.

(3) When the Commandant General or the Commandant passes an order for suspending. reducing. dismissing or fining any member of the Home Guards under sub-section (1), he shall record such order or cause the same to be recorded. together with the reasons therefore & a note of the inquiry made, in writing. and no such order shall be passed by the Commandant General or the Commandant unless the person concerned is given an opportunity to be heard in his defence.

(4) Any member of the Home Guards aggrieved by an order of the Commandant may appeal against such order to the Commandant General and any such member aggrieved by an order of the Commandant General may appeal against such order to the State Government, within thirty days of the date on which he was served with notice of such order. The Commandant General or the State Government, as the case may be, may pass such order as he thinks fit.

(5) The Commandant General or the State Government may at any time call for and examine the record of any order passed by the Commandant or Commandant General respectively, under sub-section (1) or (2) for the purpose of satisfying himself or itself as to the legality or propriety of such order passed by the Commandant or the Commandant General, as the case may be, and may pass such order with reference thereto as he or it thinks fit.

(6) Every order if no appeal is made therefrom as hereinbefore provided and every order passed in appeal or revision under this section shall be final.

(7) Any fine imposed under this section may be recovered in the manner provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Central Act V of 1898) for the recovery of fines imposed by a Court as if such fine were imposed by a Court.

(8) Any punishment inflicted on a member of the Home Guard shall be in addition to the penally to which such member is liable under Section 9 or any other law for the time being in force.

Penalty.- (1) If any member of the Home Guards, on being called out under Section 4, without reasonable excuse neglects or refuses to obey such order, or to discharge his functions as a member of the Home Guards or to obey any lawful order or direction given to him for the performance of his duties, lie shall, on conviction, be punishable with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees or with both.

(2) If any member of the Home guards wilfully neglects or refuses to deliver up his certificate of appointment or of office or any other article, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) of Section 7, lie shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees or with both.

(3) No proceedings shall be instituted under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) without the previous sanction of the Commandant.

(4) A police officer may arrest without warrant any person who commits an offence punishable under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2).

Rules.- (1) The State Government may make rules consistent with this Act,-

(a) providing for the exercise by any officer of the Home Guards of the powers conferred by Section 4 on the Commandant and the Commandant General:

(b) providing for the exercise of control by officers of the police force over members of the Home Guards when acting in aid of the police force;

(c) regulating the organisation. appointment, conditions of service. functions. discipline, arms, accoustrements and clothing of members of the Home Guards and the manner in which they may be called out for services:

(d) regulating the exercise by members of the Home Guards of any of the powers exercisable under Section 5 of this Act.

(e) generally for giving effect to the provisions 'of this Act.

(2) All rules finally made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after they are so made, before, before the House of the State Legislature while it is in session, for a period of not less than fourteen days which may comprised in one session or in two successive sessions and if, before the expiry of the session in which they are so laid or of the session immediately following, the House of the State Legislature makes any modification in any of such rules or resolves that any such rules should not be made, such rules shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of on effect as the case may be, so however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done thereunder.

Members of Home Guards to be public servants.- Members of the Home Guards acting under this Act shall be deemed to be public servants with in the meaning of Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
Home Guards not disqualified from contesting elections to the State Legislature or local bodies.- (1) A member of the Home Guards shall not be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly merely by reason of the fact that lie is a member of the Home Guards.

(2) Notwithstanding anything contained to the contrary in any other law for the time being in force, a member of the Home Guards shall not be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of any local authority merely by reason of the fact that he is a member of the Home Guards.

Repeals.- (1) The Bombay Home Guards Act, 1947, in so far as it extends to the Abu area, and all other corresponding law in force in any other part of the State are hereby repealed.

(2) The Rajasthan Home guards Ordinance, 1962 (Rajasthan Ordinance 2 of 1962) and the Rajasthan Home Guards (Amendment) Ordinance, 1962 (Rajasthan Ordinance 3 of 1962) are hereby repealed.

(3) Notwithstanding such repeal, all rules made, anything done or any action taken in exercise of the powers conferred by or under the said Ordinance shall be deemed to have been made. done or taken in exercise of the powers conferred be or under this Act.

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Notifications under Rajasthan Home Guards Act, 1963

[Notification No. F. 10/4 (1) Home (A.Gr.)/59 dated 28-11-1962, published in the Rajasthan Gazette, Part 4 C, Ordinary, dated 13-12-1962.]

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of Section 2 of the Home Guards Ordinance, 1962, (Ordinance No. 2 of 1962) the State Government hereby appoints the Inspector General of Police, Rajasthan as the ex-offico Commandant General for the Home Guards for the whole State.

(Notification No. F 10/4 (1) Home (A.Gr.)/59 dated 28-11-1962, published in the Rajasthan Gazette, Part 4 C, Ordinary, dated 13-12-1962.]

In exercise of the powers conferred by Section 2(1) of the Home Guards Ordinance, 1962, (Ordinance No. 2 of 1962) the State Government hereby constitutes for each of the Districts mentioned below a volunteer body called the Home Guards. Puffier under Section 2(2) of the said Ordinance the State Government appoints the Superintendents of Police of the respective districts as the Ex-offico Commandants for the said districts:-

1.	Udaipur	2.	Bhilwara
3.	Jaipur	4.	Bharatpur
5.	Ajmer	6.	Kota
8.	Jodhpur	8.	Jaisalmer
9.	Sikar	10.	Alwar
11.	Tonk	12.	Banner
13.	Bikaner	14.	Ganganagar

Notification No. F. 10/3 (17) Home (A-Gr. 1) 62. - In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) and (2) of Section 2 of the Rajasthan Home Guards Act 1963 (Rajasthan Act 9 of 1963) the State Government hereby constitutes for each of the following areas of the State volunteer body called the "Holm Guards" and appoints the Superintendent of Police of the respective district as the ex-offico Commandant thereof: -

1.	Sawai Madhopur	2.	Jhunjhunu
3.	Pali	4.	Jalore
5.	Nagaur	6.	Sirohi
8.	Chittorgarh	8.	Dungarpur
9.	Banswara	10.	Jhalawar
11.	Bundi	12.	Churu

By order of the Governor, R. N. Shivpuri Secretary of the Government

[Rajasthan Home Guards Act, 63- Voluntary Body, 'Home Guards', constituted for the area of Karauli District and S.P. of Karauli District appointed as ex-officio Commandant.]

[Published in Rajasthan Gazette Extraordinary, 4(Ga)(II) - dated 21.8.97, Page 245.]

[Rajasthan Home Guards Act, 63-Voluntary Body 'Home Guards', constituted for the area of Jaipur City North, Jaipur City South & Jaipur Rural and S.P. of concerned area, appointed as ex-officio commandant.]

[Published in Rajasthan Gazette Extraordinary 4(Ga)(II) - dated 21.8.97, Page 245.]