Kolkata Police has issued a new standard operating procedure (SOP) for civic volunteers, requiring quarterly performance reports and setting out disciplinary action for negligence, unauthorised absence, alleged corruption and involvement in criminal cases.
The code of conduct, published on 17 September, directs every police station’s officer-in-charge or unit in-charge to report the performance of civic volunteers to senior authorities every three months. The reports will be submitted to the deputy commissioner and the Home Guard Organisation, according to the report by Anandabazar – Kolkata.
Under the new procedure, a civic volunteer found to be negligent in duty, involved in indiscipline, corruption, extortion or humiliating behaviour may be suspended or permanently removed from service if the allegation is established. The same action may be taken if a volunteer becomes physically incapable of performing assigned duties or cannot carry them out for medical reasons. The power to take such action rests with the deputy commissioner of the Kolkata Police’s Home Guard Organisation.
The SOP also sets out a formal process for dealing with unauthorised absence. If a civic volunteer remains absent without permission, the officer-in-charge or unit in-charge must inform senior authorities. An absence lasting seven consecutive days will trigger an initial notice, which may be sent through WhatsApp. If the volunteer does not return or provide an explanation, a final notice will be issued seven days later, asking the person to explain the absence.
A civic volunteer may be permanently demobilised if there is no response to the second notice or if the explanation is found unsatisfactory. The procedure requires authorities to consider circumstances such as illness or the death of a family member before taking final action. This creates a defined notice-and-response process rather than treating every absence as an automatic ground for removal.
The decision comes after several incidents raised questions about the conduct and supervision of civic volunteers. In 2024, civic volunteer Sanjay Roy was arrested in the rape and murder case involving a doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and has since been convicted. The report also refers to allegations that civic volunteers misused their position, including allowing trucks to enter during no-entry restrictions and permitting private vehicles to be used for commercial purposes.
Civic volunteers linked to the Bidhannagar Traffic Guard, the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate and Howrah Rural Police have also been called for questioning in separate matters, according to the report. Earlier this month, a civic volunteer from Kolkata was arrested in connection with the murder of a businessman from Jharkhand.
Civic volunteers operate within the public-facing policing system, making supervision significant for residents who encounter them in traffic management and other assigned duties. The new SOP places responsibility on police station officers to document performance and report it at fixed intervals, while also defining the disciplinary process for serious misconduct and prolonged absence. The next administrative step is the implementation of the quarterly reporting system across Kolkata Police units.
