Maharashtra Forest workers to be paid in a week - TOI

NAGPUR: Thousands of forest workers (van majoors) working in the protected and non-protected areas who have not been paid wages for the past five months have something to cheer. The finance department is set to release Rs 50 crore for payment of wages and wildlife management.

The move follows principal secretary (forests) B P Pandey, joint secretary (forests) N H Kakodkar and additional principal chief conservator of forests for budget & planning D C Pant meeting Sunil Soni, principal secretary (planning) on Tuesday morning.

Pandey told TOI, "We are very concerned about the delay. An amount of Rs 50 crore is expected to be released by the finance department in a week." The non-payment of wages to thousands of van majoors and stalled funds of PAs had stirred a major controversy. The forest workers' union has also planned a morcha to Vidhan Bhavan on December 16. Agitated workers had vent their ire on senior officials for non-payment of wages recently. Wildlife management in national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves has come to a standstill for want of funds under the centrally sponsored scheme (CSS).

Pandey was positive that no project would be allowed to lapse. "To strengthen forest protection, we are in process of signing an MoU with Madhya Pradesh for GPS," he said.

The forest secretary said upgradation and promotions of state cadre employees including foresters, range forest officer (RFOs), assistant conservators (ACFs) and divisional forest officers (DFOs) will be given priority. Upgradation of IFS cadre will be done later.