Papadahandi: An emergency meeting of the Odisha Un-Gazetted Forest Employees’ Association was held at Charak Forest, Nabarangpur, under the chairmanship of President Malay Ranjan. The meeting was conducted in memory of the late forest guard Prahlad Pradhan from the Dhenkanal Division.
General Secretary Prabhat Kumar Beshoyee shared the objectives of the meeting, after which various issues were discussed. For the past 15 years, the association has been demanding improvements in departmental policies and working conditions, but due to the government’s indifference, a proposal for renewed agitation was adopted.
On this occasion, a three-point charter of demands was submitted to the Chief Minister through the District Collector. The key demands of the association include:
1. Trial of the murder case of the late forest guard Prahlad Pradhan in a fast-track court,
2. Compensation of ₹1 crore to the bereaved family,
3. Formation of a Forest Commission to restructure the Odisha Forest Department,
4. Improvements in security arrangements,
5. Cadre revision,
6. Reform of the recruitment process and enhancement of employee training and skills,
7. Provision of insurance through bank accounts within two months.
The association has warned that if the government fails to act by June 21, then from June 22 onward, all members will:
Wear black badges,
Go on mass leave,
Hold protests in front of circle offices until the demands are fulfilled.
Those present at the meeting included:
District Vice President Krushnachandra Beshoyee,
Joint Secretary Lalu Beshoyee,
Koraput Zone Vice President Gobinda Nayak,
Sushant Kumar Majhi,
Gupta Prasad Majhi,
Tanuj Kumar Parichha,
Madhusudan Patra,
Harihar Brahma,
A. Manoj, and
Ramesh Beshoyee.