SANGUEM
Around 60 daily wage workers of the Forest Department at Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary have pleaded for the regularisation of their services, after claiming that their present emoluments are barely sufficient to meet day-to-day expenses of their families.
The workers at the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary, including a few female workers, are engaged as gardeners, rescuers, lifeguards and drivers.
Despite the meagre payments, the workers have continued with their services, some of them for as long as 12 years, with the hope that their services will be regularised someday.
Some of the aggrieved workers said they are paid wages ranging from Rs 405 to Rs 544 per day depending on the capacity in which the worker is employed.
Majority of the workers employed at the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary are from Netravali and other surrounding villages.
“The only reason we were fascinated to work at the Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary was the proximity to the workplace,” said one worker.
“Some of us are now married and have families to look after. The meagre salaries at the end of the month without any additional perks is hardly sufficient to keep going with the increasing prices of daily household commodities. At times, we have to borrow money from other family members and friends to tide over the situation.”
They claim that workers work for 24 days in a month and take a little over Rs 10,000 at the end of the month.
“If for any reason, we are found absent from work than the wages stands deducted all the more as we have no benefits of leave and other holidays,” said the worker.
“We have approached authorities with a request to regularise our services. Only an assurance is given every time we approach them for regularisation of our services.”
While the wages paid are bare minimum, many workers have a risky job as quite often, they have be on their foot to guard the forest areas from poachers and other illegal activities.
