Forest PLs calls cease work seeking regular scale

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, November 20, 2024

Hundreds of government employees associated with the Forest Department of Tripura in the post of Permanent Labour (PL) on Wednesday called one day “cease work” demanding regular pay scale. The workers gathered in front of Nehru Park here in Agartala to press for their demands through their token protest. According to the protestors, they had been financially struggling with their meagre salary to cope up with high inflation. Speaking to media persons, one of the protesters said, “For the last seven years we had been serving in the posts created with the concurrence of the Finance Department.

Many of us had been associated with the department for the last twenty years. All of us have their backs on the wall. We get a monthly salary of Rs 13,000 which is not enough to run a family given the current state of inflation.” According to him, had their pay scale been upgraded to the regular pay scale they would be entitled to some of the other benefits and get some pension on retirement from service.

“We used to get Rs 12,000 but after the 5 percent increase, the final salary we draw is close to Rs 13,000 now. On multiple occasions, we met Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha, Forest Minister Animesh Debbarma and other higher officials of the department with our demand for a regular pay scale. They assured us of positive action but for the last three years the situation remained the same. This is why we have gathered here today,” the protestor identified as Shankar Chakraborty told media persons.