DFO & forest guards at loggerheads

TNN | Feb 20, 2012, 07.24AM IST DALTONGANJ: Divisional forest officer (DFO-buffer) Anil Mishra and Jharkhand Van Shramik Union president Sidh Nath Jha are at loggerheads. About 157 contractual workers, daily wage-earners of the Palamu Tiger Reserve are on a dharna for past nine days. The officer and the union are at loggerheads on the issue of removal of three daily wage workers from the reserve. The workers removed are Sidh Nath Jha, Green Ram and Mukut Stephen Tirkey. Mishra said, "I had removed four daily wagers. But intriguingly these union people are making noises about only three." Mishra could not recollect the name of the fourth one removed by him. "Jha is the state president of the Jharkhand Van Shramik Union. He does not work at all. Jha's plea is that he is the head of the union so he be exempted from doing work as a daily wager," said the DFO adding that should a contractual worker (daily wage earner) be paid government money in terms of wages if the person concerned has not done any work at all?. The DFO reiterated this union president would not be paid wages at all for the period he has not done work. Jha's non performing days are being counted and now he stands removed from the tiger reserve. Jha concedes his removal is unjust. He said, "We want all removed to be taken in the PTR." When asked as to why he does not work like other daily wagers Jha said, "Being the state president of Van Shramik Union there is hardly any time left for doing but my presence in PTR helps other daily wagers to work more sincerely." On the reason for removing the other two daily workers the DFO said that Green Ram and Mukut Stephen Tirkey have been removed for selling precious woods/trees of PTR to local carpenters in villages situated in and around the PTR. However Jha defended them saying, "The daily wagers are a victim of conspiracy of either forest guards or rangers as when ever these daily wagers point fingers towards corruption in PTR the forest guards and rangers start waging war against daily wagers." http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/DFO-forest-guards-at-loggerheads/articleshow/11958300.cms