Forest employees of Madhya Pradesh are preparing to launch an agitation from February 14 for their 20-point demands, including demand for equal pay scale to the police. Provincial General Secretary of Madhya Pradesh Forest Employees Union Amod Tiwari said that the employees of the Forest Department have not received their rights even after struggling for a long time. Due to continuous neglect of forest employees, the employees have been forced to agitate.
Tiwari said that the forest workers will start their agitation from February 14.
In the first phase, the employees will submit memorandum regarding their demands at the headquarters level. If the demands are not met, memorandums will be handed over to the local MPs and MLAs on March 15 in the second phase.
In the third phase, from April 15, the movement will be intensified by holding rallies and demonstrations. Even after this, if the demands of the forest personnel are not met, then in the fourth phase, between May 1 and May 5, the employees will protest by depositing government guns, revolvers, government vehicles etc. In the last and fifth phase, the workers will go on an indefinite strike.
Major demands of forest employees:
-The employees of the Forest Department should be given the same pay scale as the revenue and police.
-Declaring forest employees as armed forces, they should be given the rights of judicial magistrates.
-Uniform should be made compulsory for everyone from Forest Guard to Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
-All the forest guards should be given the benefit of grade pay 1900/5680 and the recovery of those who have received the benefit should be stopped.
- Seventh pay scale, compassionate appointment and uniform should be provided to permanent workers by adjusting them in fourth grade.
-Rs 5000 uniform allowance should be provided to the forest employees.
- Protection should be provided to forest employees from political and land mafia encroachments on forest land.
-Nutritious allowance to forest employees, Naxalite allowance to personnel working in Naxalite area and two forest guards should be posted in the beats of Tiger Reserve.
-Employees working in National Parks, Tiger Reserves and Sanctuaries should be given amount and other facilities according to the Centre.
-Employees after 2005 should be given the benefit of the old pension scheme.