Explanation:

Jammu and Kashmir administration has accorded sanction to the creation of the Village Defence Guards Scheme (VDGS)-2022.

The scheme is intended to prevent the incidents of terrorist acts inspired and supported from across the border and to boost the security grid in the Union Territory.

The aim of the Village Defence Guards Scheme (VDGs) is to organize a small group of volunteer armed civilians in the identified villages along the borders as well as in-depth areas of the Jammu division.

The objective is to instill sense of self protection and ensure the safety and security of such villages, infrastructural installations in and around them and to check the trans-border movement. Under the scheme, the Village Defence Guards would be charged with the responsibility of protecting community installations and infrastructure facilities within the defined areas of their village and the Village Defence Guards would conduct night and day patrolling in a systematic manner.

The VDGs will consist of two categories viz., those in possession of a valid arms licence and to whom weapons have been provided by the J&K Police, determined by the District Magistrate or Senior Superintendent of Police concerned, keeping in view the credentials, of the volunteers' population of the village, its location and security requirement and secondly, the persons in possession of valid licence and weapons or willing to purchase weapons on their own.

The members of each group will work on a voluntary basis and the selection will be made carefully by the district administration, from amongst the ex-servicemen and ex-policemen of the village and able-bodied young men, who have proficiency in the handling of arms, ammunition and are prepared to contribute towards the welfare of the community and security of the village.