KNZ NEWS DESK
Srinagar, July 12: A number of 250 casuals, who were working in Sindh Forest Division in Ganderbal, are living in a state of uncertainty and despair, due to being disengaged by the Forest Department.
A delegation of the said casuals visited CNS office on Friday and narrated their woeful situation as a result thereof.
According to the details provided by the delegation to CNS, there are a number of 750 casuals working in the department, who were engaged from time to time, since 2008. Out of these 750 casuals 250 have were disengaged by the department recently. The delegation said that by this decision, they have been forced to land into despair and they are feeling devastated because of losing their jobs.
“We have put in a hard and good work of ten years and have contributed to the safeguard and upkeep of forests in the division and at a time when they have crossed the age bar, we are being told to stay home”, said Mohammad Rafiq Sofi s/o Gaffar Sofi r/o Gutli Bagh.
“We, along with our families are starving, because of suddenly losing our livelihood, which has left us in a state of trauma”, he said.
When contacted Divisional Forest Officer Ganderbal, Owais Farooq Mir told that under the directions of the government, the department has constituted a committee to verify the status of these 250 casuals and to take a final call on, who to retain and who to relieve.
“Those, who have received their wages on 17th March 2015, have been retained as per the government directive, while papers of the rest are being verified to ascertain who among those could be retained or disengaged”, he said. (CNS)
