Denied facilities like regular salaries, regular services in police department, uniform and rights under labour laws, scores of Uttarakhand Gram Prahari (Revenue) Union members took out a rally and tried to reach Secretariat on Thursday. But they were stopped at the police barricade at Kanak Chowk. UGPU member Puran Singh Rawat said that they have been agitating over their seven- point charter of demands for the past many years, but to no avail.
“Our plight is miserable. For instance, the village watchmen under the revenue areas are getting a paltry Rs 600 per month. last year, the State government had increased it by Rs 100 per month. Previously it was Rs 500. By way of contrast, the village watchmen under regular police area are getting Rs 1000 per month. This is an instance of gross discrimination against us,” he said.
He further said that prices of every commodity spiraling fast, it is impossible for them to maintain their families. “What is more, we get salaries once in six or seven months from the state government,” Rawat said.
Citing the Chief Minister having announced many things for their benefit, he said things have remained the same for them with no government order being released on the announcements.
“In June 2015, CM announced that the village watchmen would be made agriculture praharis. In October, 2015, CM again declared that their status would be changed into multipurpose workers. Again in November, 2015, CM announced that they would be made multipurpose employees. But things do not move for us as the State government is dithering on issuing the required government order to act on CM’s announcements,” he said.
Notably, the village watchmen under the revenue areas are deputed on various works during disasters and landslides. They are deputed too on VIP duties. They get works for at best 20 days in a month.
After the members of the association were stopped at the barricade placed at Kanak Chowk, they submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through the office of the city magistrate lalit Narayan Mishra.
Another protester said that they keep vigil in the villages to stop crimes and inform local police about them. “Village watchmen report crimes to the local police station, Revenue Police, Nayab Tehsildar, Tehsildar and others on regular basis. We are not paid adequately when deployed on election and other government works.
Moreover, we receive a frightfully paltry Rs 600 per month as wages. The payment is also erratic. We have not been paid for many months. One can imagine our plight with prices of commodities sky-rocketing. Before 2010, village watchman used to be paid Rs 200 per month. The state government has remained callous regarding our plight,” he said, adding that the number of such watchmen working in the State is over 3440 under the revenue area and 3500 under the regular police area.
Notably, the institution of village police or village watchmen came into force as per Section 47 in the Police Act, 1861. By this section, the authority of district magistrate and district superintendent of police was extended over village police.
Critics opined that even after 15 years since Uttarakhand came up as a State, the Village Praharis receiving Rs 600 per month as wages under the revenue area tell a sad story of negligence.