Chandigarh, April 12 -- The Punjab government is reconsidering its plan to deploy 5,000 home guards along the International Border with Pakistan and is instead considering the use of police constables for this purpose.

This shift is driven by fiscal concerns, as the state is currently responsible for covering 75% of the honorarium (25% is shared by the Centre) for home guards, which amounts to a significant financial burden.

According to a senior government official, for 'border home guards', the Union home ministry has some specific guidelines under which they pay a volunteer Rs.45 per day as basic perks.

Currently, the state's share of the cost for a home guard's honorarium is around Rs.19,900 per month, in addition to a 42% dearness...