TURA: The 225 Forest Home Guards who were dismissed by the Forest Department without prior notification have refused to accept the terms and conditions of their redeployment as casual employees. The decision to redeploy them was taken during a meeting held between the Government and the department recently.
Refusing to accept the new terms and conditions set for their employment the aggrieved forest employees have decided to go ahead with their proposed two-day picketing of the Divisional Forest Office Territorial (T), Home Guard Civil Defence Commandant Office and the Conservator of Forest Wildlife Territorial Office on August 26 and 27.
In the meeting held on August 15, it was decided that 50 unarmed home guards who have been serving for over 10 years would be redeployed as casual employees till March 31 next with Rs 200 per day as wage for highly skilled workers, while the remaining 175 unarmed home guards in Garo Hills would be redeployed as casual employees only for a period of three months with wages of Rs 160 per day after which their services will be discontinued indefinitely. It was also decided that the unarmed home guards in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills who have agreed to work as casual employees at the notified rates would be retained till March 31.
The aggrieved home guards have termed the decision as a humiliation of their rights adding that they could never agree to the terms set forth during the meeting.
“The Government has made a mockery of our employment. How can we accept the reduction in our salaries when the salaries of other government employees are being raised in the wake of constant rise in prices of commodities,” an aggrieved employee said.
The various allowances of the forest home guards were last increased in August 2012. According to the new rates, the duty allowance was increased from the earlier Rs 140 to Rs 300/- per day, training allowance from Rs 90 to Rs 200 per day.