ITANAGAR, All Arunachal Pradesh Forest Workers’ Union (AAPFWU) today carried out a dharna to press their four point charter of demand including disbursement of monthly salary regularly by 2nd day of every month and other important demands.
AAPFWU president Lingdum Bagap inform the media that due to non release of monthly salary timely and regularly there has been lots of untold problems among the contingency workers who are totally depended on the monthly salary, though the workers community has suffered a lot during the Covid 19 pandemic but even after passing of the Pandemic the situation has hardly been changed and issue has been hardly resolved and in some occasion the salary of the workers community are being disbursed too late and due to with there has been several problems arise. He said.
In several parts of state the contingency workers are residing in rented accommodation, most have school going children, pay rent of accommodation, buy gas cylinder, ration items on regular basis but due to non disbursement of monthly salary regularly and timely it is beyond manageable and overloading the monthly budget due to late fine being paid on all the works. He said.
We have been pursuing the department but it has been observed that due to the lackadaisical attitude of the several officers dealing with the salary matter of the forest department the monthly salary being delayed every month is a matter of great concern and finding no option but to resort to democratic movement. He said.
We have sought for a peaceful rally/procession from IG Park to PCCF officers but the capital administration has given us permission for only dharna and we are protesting here and demanding our genuine right and nothing special we are asking the authority concerned. We are monthly paid workers and our monthly salary should be given on a regular basis and timely or else we will continue for democratic movement after one week. Bagap said.
The other demand which includes we want the detailed report of non-APST appointments made from 2015 to 2021, Despite filling RTI, concerned departments are not providing the details of appointments that are made in the aforesaid mentioned years,” alleged Bagap.
Stating that the retired person who has been re-induct in the department should be removed immediately, Bagap informed there are many graduate children of forest department staff and others workers who are technically qualified and few staff also deserved promotion but the department has re-induct the retired person in various posts.
AAPFWU further demands to include the president and GS of the union for inclusion of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) for maintaining transparency in the department.
Reacting to the democratic movement the Principal secretary and Principal chief conservator of forest, RK Singh has rubbish the allegation and said that we are maintaining total transparency in the monthly salary of the workers community.
There were some problems and the monthly salary was delayed for a few days or a week but for the last few months the system has been changed. He said.
Now the system has been little bit upgraded and the salaries are being disbursed in the individual accounts of the workers after completion of all formalities which include approval from the department and finance and later to the bank. He said.
He accepted that all the official formalities and official works take some time but there is no intention of any concern, there may be some technical problems and also in case of official and bank holiday it gets delayed on a few occasions but assured to take care in other occasions. He said.
I am here and several top officers of the department are there and they can come and discuss if any problem with the staff is there, we are for them and working for the department and assure to take care of important and vital problems of the workers. PCCF said.
He admitted that workers have been re-inducted in the department on contract basis as there were no other expert workers and these workers have experience in the same department and can deliver service for the department. PCCF added.
As per information there are more than one thousand five hundred contingency workers working in various parts of the state in the forest department.
Meanwhile, Joint Working committee of workers union, President Changma Tajo has also joined the dharna and demanded that the monthly salary of the contingency workers of the forest department should be given on regular need to be disbursed and timely without delay or else threatened to support the workers community demand and further democratic movement in future as the issue has been delayed for more than three-four years.
