Salaries delayed for past three months, employees say they are on verge of starvation
Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, May 9: The fate of at least 2500 employees of State Forest Corporation is hanging in balance as their salaries continue to be delayed for the past three months which has made their lives a living hell.
The Government of India on March 31, 2020 had issued a gazette notification stating that “in exercise of the powers conferred by section 96 of Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act 20199 (34 of 2019) the Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation Act 1978 stands repealed.”
After repealing of the Act, the SFC had to be put under a new framework to manage its affairs. “The new arrangement has not been worked out due to some unknown reasons till date,” the SFC employees said.
“On one hand the lockdown has been extended and on the other we have been denied the salaries. We are suffering for none of our faults,” the SFC employees said.
It is difficult to feed our families in the present situation. “We have been left to fend on our own in the present situation. Till the government puts a new system in place the salary of the employees should be disbursed. It can be done by taking a nod from the administration,” they said.
Despite repeated attempts Managing Director SFC, Vasu Yadav, didn’t pick up the phone for his version.
However one of the government officials said that the issues viz-a-viz the salary of employees as well as future arrangement of SFC, have been proceeded simultaneously. ‘The government will take its decision soon,” he said. (KINS)