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| FD’s unaccounted balancesheet lands SFC in a mess | | | 
Asif Iqbal Naik
Kishtwar, Dec 12 : Thanks to the unaccounted balance sheet of the forest department; the State Forest Corporation (SFC) is in a mess. This allegation was leveled by President All Jammu and Kashmir State Forest Corporation Employees Union Chenab Valley, Masood Ahmed Siddiqui while addressing a press conference here today. Masood added that an amount of nearly Rs. 600 is pending with forest department since SFC has supplied 131.825 lakh CTF "A" class Timber and also 9.171 lakh quintals of fire wood since 1980 to 2011.
Siddiqui said that despite repeated request from the union, the government failed to prepare balance sheet of SFC department right from the beginning. He said that due to hegemony of forest officials within the department, politicians and forest officials' nexus looted the corporation for personal gain. They also make back door appointments; he said adding that SFC has extracted timber worth more than 5000 Cr since it was constituted by the government. "The government is befooling the employees on the pretext of financial crunch." Sidiqui said that SFC was considered as backbone of Jammu and Kashmir State right from the beginning and accused that due to monopoly from successive government, the corporation was reduced to rubble.
He said that as and when government agrees to prepare the balance sheet of the department, the SFC will again comes back on track. He said that over 120 SFC trucks are without any work at workshop in Jammu and instead the official/Contractor nexus engage private vehicles for transportation of timber thus causing heavy losses to the corporation as a result of which nearly 3000 employees of the corporation suffer on account of monthly pay as well as COLA.
The Union President alleged that forest department instead of handing over the extraction of timber work to SFC preferred to extract the same on its own that too in violation of Supreme Court order. He said that Supreme Court in its order clearly directed the state government to extract any kind of wood from forest only through SFC.
Masood said that unabated cutting of trees by the forest department causes major loss to the environment. He alleged that the funds provided by the World Bank and central government for environmental related activities was also being embezzled by those at the helm of the affair. He said that the union from time to time appraises the forest minister about the problem faced by the employees of SFC department, but same has not been addressed.
Sidiqui said that in case the demand raised by the union including release of all balance COLA, DA installment removal of cut date in matter of INSITU, extension of pensionary benefits in favour of all employees has not been addressed within one month, they will leave with no other option, but to knock the doors of honorable Supreme Court.
He said that said that being as Chairman of both Forest Department as well as SFC department, honorable Forest Minister is in a position to save the future of SFC by releasing the balance amount of over 600 Cr laying pending with forest department since last over 3 decades. He said that the only solution to the problem faced by the SFC employees and department is to implement the directions issued by the Supreme Court at the time of imposing ban on extraction of timber from forests in the year 1996. He also demanded an immediate stopping of harassment/victimization tactics against the poor and access less employees in term of their suspension.
He also demanded an amendment in J & K State Forest Corporation Act 1978 as early as possible. He said that the department will support any government move in case they merge SFC with forest department which according to Siddiqui is possible since the forest department is facing crunch on account of shortage of field staff. |
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