FOREST GUARDS and foresters of the Gujarat forest department ended their indefinite strike late on Wednesday evening after the state government agreed to most of their demands pertaining to allowances, pay against earned leaves, changes in recruitment rules etc. The government decision came on the day the monsoon session of the Gujarat Assembly began and on the 16th day of the strike by around 6000 forest guards and 2000 foresters. After the guards and foresters, who are responsible primarily to patrol forest areas and keep a track of movement of wild animals, went on strike, the state government had deployed State Reserve Police in Gir forest to assist the local staff in manning important entry and exit points of the protected forest areas. “We ended our indefinite strike after the government accepted 13 of our 14 demands. The government had accepted 11 of our demands earlier as they were such as could be decided by offices of the forest department. Of the remaining four, the government accepted three while assuring that a decision on the fourth one—increasing grade pay—will be taken in due course of time,” Pravinsinh Chauhan, president of Gujarat Rajya Vanrakshak Karmachari Mandal (GRVKM), the association of around forest guards and foresters of Gujarat said. An official release from the government said that the government has agreed to compensate forest guards and foresters against the duty they perform on weekly off days and public holidays and also pay monthly laundry allowance. “The government decision to pay against earned leave will increase salaries of guards and foresters by up to Rs 8,000 per month. The monthly laundry allowance of Rs 400 will also go a long way,” Chauhan further said. The decision was taken after guards and foresters, who were on strike since September 6, started staging dharnas in state capital Gandhinagar from Monday onwards.
