Port Blair, June 08: A General Body meeting of the Middle Andaman Forest Employees Union (Affiliated to CITU) was held at Rangat recently. The meeting discussed various issues of workers working under the Middle Andaman Forest Division. The meeting expressed concern over the decision of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration not to grant 1/30th of pay plus DA to the daily rated mazdoors working under the Forest Department which is in violation of the judgment dated 19th December, 2022 of the Division Bench of the High Court at Calcutta (Lt Governor –vs- ASNVMS).
The meeting urged the Government of India and authorities in the A & N Administration to reconsider its decision and extend the above benefit to all the DRMs working under the Forest Department. Addressing the meeting, PK Khalid, General Secretary of Middle Andaman Forest Employees Union criticized the government for pushing the Forest Department workers into unnecessary litigation.
A large number of Forest Department workers working at Rangat and nearby areas attended the meeting.