The West Bengal government has announced that 20 per cent reservation would be provided for Agniveers in recruitment to the Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Department, Police and Disaster Management Department.
On the other hand, the government is set to form a new disaster-response force called the “Arjun Bahini” by recruiting the Agniveers to deal with emergencies. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said the force will become operational in September. So far, 200 personnel have been selected through the Sainik Board. Of them, 100 will be stationed in Kolkata, 50 in the hills and 50 in Sagar.
The Chief Minister said Modelled on the lines of the NDRF, the force would be equipped with modern technology to speed up rescue operations in disaster-hit areas, drawing lessons from the recent collapse of a warehouse shed under construction at Taratala.
