Forest workers' union threatens to launch stir in Arunachal

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The All Arunachal Pradesh Forest Workers' Union (AAPFWU) has threatened to hold its second phase of agitation if the Department of Environment & Forest fails to address their four-point demands before November 9.

The union threatened to rally from IG Park here on November 9 and thereafter, failing to address the matter, it will go for three days of peaceful dharna at the PCCF office on November 10, November 11 and November 12.

Addressing the media at the press club here on Monday, AAPFWU president Lindum Bagap said an ultimatum letter to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) has been served, reminding him about the demands of the workers. He also appealed to the contingency workers/staff not to attend any kind of duty during the three days of dharna. Those defying the appeal and under the ambit of the union shall be dealt by the law of the union, he added.

The workers' demands include regularization of contingent workers, compliance of government decision to pay wages through electronic transfer within the first week of every month and immediate renovation of the labor barrack. The union also held a peaceful protest against the department last month at IG Park.

Earlier, PCCF RK Singh had rubbished the allegation and claimed that the department was maintaining total transparency in the disbursement of monthly salary of the workers community. He said there were some problems and the monthly salary was delayed for a few days or week but for the last few months the system had been changed. However, he accepted that "sometimes the official formalities and work take time".

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