Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 17: The General Body Meeting of the Andaman & Nicobar Forest Department Workers Union (CITU) was held at Port Blair recently. Addressing the meeting, D. Ayyappan, President of the Union briefly explained the various issues of the Forest Department workers including the daily rated mazdoors. He said that while the 1/30th of pay plus DA benefit has been extended to all the daily rated workers under the Andaman & Nicobar Administration, this benefit has been denied to the DRMs working in the Forest Department by central government and A & N Administration, by treating them as seasonal workers. He also dealt with briefly the position of the Court case pertaining to the DRMs of Forest Department.
Addressing the meeting, B. Chandrachoodan, General Secretary, CITU State Committee criticized the Modi government for pursuing various anti –working class policies in the country ever since BJP came to power in 2014. He recalled the valiant struggle conducted by the workers across the Andaman & Nicobar Islands for the 1/30th of pay plus DA scheme to the DRMs.
SP Kalairajan, General Secretary of the Forest Workers Union presented the report on the functioning of the Union while V. Rushi, Treasurer presented the audited accounts of the union. A number of members participated in the discussion.
The general body elected D. Ayyappan, SP Kalairajan and V. Rushi as President, General Secretary and Treasurer respectively of the Union. Earlier, Juhi Nidhi presented the condolence resolution while Krishna Anjili welcomed the participants in the general body meeting.