Srinagar, January 29: A large group of wildlife casual laborers protested outside Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s residence in Srinagar on Wednesday, seeking salaries equivalent to those of other casual employees. The laborers later met National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, who invited them to Jammu for discussions with the forest minister to resolve their concerns.
The gathering took place on Gupkar Road, where they demanded a monthly salary of Rs 9,030, which is comparable to what casual laborers in other departments earn. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was in Jammu at the time of the protest.
“We are not here to demand job regularization, but to request regular monthly salary payments for Wildlife employees,” stated Bilal Ahmad Dar, President of the Wildlife Casual Laborers Association, during a media briefing.
Dar claimed that Wildlife employees only receive Rs 2,000 on Eid and Holi each year. He mentioned that a delegation had met with the forest minister in both Srinagar and Jammu but received no serious response regarding their issue.
When the police detained the protesting employees, Farooq Abdullah promptly reached out to them, leading to a constructive meeting. “Farooq Sahab has invited us to his residence in Jammu on Monday and assured us that he will involve the forest minister to address this issue,” Dar added, expressing hope that their demands would be met.
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