Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha on Friday (May 22, 2026) launched the ‘Home Guards Health Insurance Scheme’ for Home Guards working within the limits of the Visakhapatnam City Police, the first such scheme in the State. Under it, 975 Home Guards will get health insurance cover. The policy provides base cover of ₹3 lakh and a ₹33 lakh top-up. About 3,144 family members are expected to benefit.

Ms. Anitha said the scheme reflected the government’s commitment to extending welfare measures to police personnel at every level, from senior officials to lower-rank staff and Home Guards.

She said Home Guards worked round the clock with police personnel and helped maintain law and order. Unlike police constables, they were not eligible for compassionate appointments, and many had limited access to healthcare. Under the scheme, Home Guards and their families can get treatment at all major corporate hospitals, she said. Welfare measures would boost their morale, and the government would continue to support them so they could do their duties with greater confidence, she added.

She referred to a recent step by the Tirupati police, where children of constables and Home Guards who did well in Class X examinations were felicitated. The government would also help support the education of Home Guards’ children, she said.

Visakhapatnam Police Commissioner Shankhabratha Bagchi said Home Guards were among the hardest-working personnel in the police system. He said that even though they worked every day, they earned only about ₹21,000 a month, which made it hard to meet big medical bills.

“In such circumstances, many Home Guards are unable to take care of their own health and that of their family members. Keeping this in mind, the department decided to introduce the insurance scheme,” he said.

The Commissioner said the first-year premium of ₹88 lakh was paid from the Police Welfare Fund. From next year, Home Guards would contribute about ₹10,000 a year towards the premium.

He said a ‘Police and Home Guards Health Insurance Assistance Centre’ and a helpline had also been set up to help beneficiaries.

Such welfare measures would boost the morale of Home Guards and encourage other districts and States to take up similar schemes, he said.

Deputy Commissioners of Police Ch. Manikanta and Latha Madhuri, and other personnel were present .The Home Minister also flagged off two patrol vehicles given by Divis Laboratories under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.