Forest Corporation employees hit streets demand salaries, pay arrears
Srinagar: Employees of the Forest Corporation Saturday staged a protest here against the administration for allegedly ‘withholding’ their salaries and inordinate ‘delay’ in their releasing 7th Pay Commission arrears.
Employees holding placards in their hands which read “Release our salaries, Release 7th pay arrears” amidst sloganeering gathered at the Press Enclave here and staged a protest against the administration for failing to release their salaries of past four months, besides the 7th Pay Commission arrears.
The protesting employees threatened to come on roads in case their salaries are not released forthwith. They also demanded that their 7th Pay Commission arrears be released without any further delay.
Bashir Ahmad Bhat, who heads Forest Corporation Employees Union (FCEU) appealed to the Lieutenant Governor, who is also the Chairman of Forest Corporation to give additional charges to one of his Advisors so that the issues confronting them are resolved.
He said the government has not released their salaries for the last four months even as the Finance department had on 14th of this month issued an order stating that the Forest employees could draw their salaries directly from the government treasury henceforth.
He said the government has also annulled Forest Corporation Act 1978; however their salaries which are pending for the last four months are yet to be released.
“We are aged people having attained the age of retirement, we have served the department in extremely tough times but it’s unfortunate that we are being forced to come on roads. We appeal to the Lieutenant Governor to release our salary or else we will be forced to come on roads along with our families,” Bhat told the media.
