Gandhinagar, Nov 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Forest Guards and Beat Guards in Gujarat have agreed to call off their agitation following discussions with the state government over their pending demands, Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia said on Tuesday.
The decision came after a meeting between senior Forest Department officials and representatives of the employees’ association, held on the instructions of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
The meeting focused on the various demands raised by employees of the two cadres, who had been protesting to press for their resolution.
Modhwadia said the discussions had resulted in a positive outcome, with the government agreeing to address the employees’ concerns.
However, some of the pending issues require approval from the General Administration Department and the Finance Department.
“These issues will also be resolved at the earliest after following the prescribed procedures,” the minister said, adding that the government is committed to taking decisions in the interests of junior employees and adopting a sympathetic approach towards their concerns.
The agitation, which began on October 28 at Satyagraha Chhavni in Gandhinagar, had drawn around 3,000 frontline forest personnel from different parts of the state.
The employees had been seeking improvements in their service conditions, including a risk allowance, removal of pay disparities between Forest Guards and Foresters, compensation for working on public holidays, an increase in staff strength and faster disposal of pending transfer applications.
The employees had also raised concerns over promotion opportunities and discrepancies in grade pay.
According to the employees’ association, a Forest Guard receives a grade pay of Rs 1,800, lower than the Rs 1,900 paid to Class IV employees.
Forest personnel are responsible for protecting forests and wildlife and responding to incidents involving wild animals, forest fires and illegal activities.
Their duties often require them to work in difficult and potentially dangerous conditions. The government has not yet detailed which demands have been accepted or specified the financial and administrative concessions that will be granted.
The minister said the remaining issues would be taken up with the departments concerned through the prescribed approval process.
Source: IANS
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