Written by Manraj Grewal SharmaChandigarh | October 17, 2025 12:49 AM IST 3 min readTo avoid similar cases, the court asked the state to create a policy for full-time Home Guards who have worked for decades without other jobs.In a ruling that could set a precedent for thousands of Home Guards across Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state government to regularise the services of one long-serving volunteer and pay a lump sum compensation to another, observing that decades of uninterrupted full-time duty cannot be dismissed as mere voluntary work.Justice Jagmohan Bansal, while disposing of two writ petitions filed in 2014 by Hardev Singh and Gurpal Singh, emphasised that such prolonged engagement amounted to exploitation under the garb of volunteerism, and called for a policy to prevent similar cases.The petitioners, both from disadvantaged backgrounds, joined in the early 1990s under local laws. Hardev Singh started on April 6, 1992, as a driver and later as a guard, working continuously until his retirement in June 2025 at age 58. Gurpal Singh, who joined in 1993, has been doing office tasks since 2000 and will retire in 2030. They argued they deserved recognition because they had worked for over 10 years without breaks, citing a past Supreme Court decision.The state argued that Home Guards are volunteers meant to help during emergencies like floods or fires, as outlined in government guidelines. They pointed to a previous Supreme Court ruling stating that volunteers receive allowances, not regular pay, and are not expected to work full-time year-round.However, Justice Bansal saw it differently, noting that the petitioners’ full-time roles were more like regular jobs. “The petitioner worked with respondent for more than three decades without interruption… He was performing duties as full-time employee,” the ruling stated. The court criticized the state for taking advantage of workers, quoting a recent Supreme Court decision: “Prolonged, continuous, and unblemished service performing tasks inherently required on a regular basis can, over time, transform what was initially ad-hoc or temporary into a scenario demanding fair regularization.”The court added: “The respondent is exploiting citizens of the country in the name of volunteers… A man who is working entire day and without interruption for three decades cannot be called as volunteer.” It also referenced other Supreme Court rulings that prevent the state from unfairly denying workers their rights based on past decisions.The court directed the Punjab government to pay Hardev Singh a one-time amount of Rs 5,00,000, as he was denied benefits like retirement pay or leave compensation due to not being recognized. For Gurpal Singh, the court ordered official recognition within six months, or he would be considered recognized if the deadline is missed.To avoid similar cases, the court asked the state to create a policy for full-time Home Guards who have worked for decades without other jobs.Story continues below this adThe petitioners were represented by advocates R.K. Arora, Jugam Arora, Prabhat Kashyap, and J.S. Bhogal, while Aman Dhir appeared for the state.Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarhPunjab and Haryana High Court