Andhra Pradesh: Outsourced forest staff get salaries

Rajamahendravaram: The state government has released four months salaries, from March to June, to the outsourcing employees working in various categories and wings of the forest department. The outsourcing employees starved during the period due to lack of money and not able to meet the family expenditure.

As many as 2,592 outsourcing employees such as forest protection staff, base camp watchers, protection watchers, check-post drivers, striking force etc are working in the department. Observing their plight Principle Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) N Prateep Kumar take the issue to the notice of Minister for Forests Balineni Srinivas Reddy and he discussed this with Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

Immediately the Chief Minister sanctioned an amount of Rs 9,21,91,700 towards salaries to outsourcing staff working in the circles of Rajamahendravaram, Guntur, Kurnool, Anantapur and Visakhapatnam along with wildlife circles in Tirupati, Rajamahendravaram and Srisailam. The PCCF, Prateep Kumar transferred the amount to the respective circles.

According to Rajamahendravaram circle conservator N Nageswara Rao, of the total amount of 9,21,91,700, an amount of Rs 1,80,80,900 was sanctioned to the circle. Of it, for Kakinada division Rs 64,59,600, for Eluru division Rs 38,86,600, for Krishna division Rs 12,13,700, for Chintoor division Rs 32,40,900, for wildlife division Rajamahendravaram Rs 4,77,100, for wildlife division Eluru Rs 21,76,500 and state silviculture wing Rajamahendravaram Rs 6,26,5003 was released.

All the 600 outsourcing employees in the circle thanked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and PCCF for taking immediate steps for the payment of salaries.