TURA: The A’chik Indigenous Justice Initiative Forum (AIJIF) has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma urging him to look into the various problems being faced by the muster roll labourers of the Village Forest Protection Force under Dainadubi State Forest Range in North Garo Hills.
In their memorandum, the forum said that despite the casual employees’ service with sincerity and dedication for more than 20 years, they are paid very less when compared to regular employees. It added that this discrimination in the payment of wages has resulted in misery and despair among the workers, who are entrusted with equal responsibilities and duties to that of the regular employees.
According to the forum, the workers had also submitted several letters in the past to concerned authorities requesting the enhancement of their daily wages from the current Rs 166.60 to those of skilled labourers, but their requests had been ignored by the Forest Department of Meghalaya.
Stating that the issues faced by the workers must be given the highest priority considering the immense responsibility and duties they are entrusted with, the forum requested that encouragement is given to them in the form of appropriate monetary incentives, payment of wages at par with skilled labourers and timely revision of wages to boost their morale.
The forum also requested the Chief Minister to take up the issue with the concerned department.
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