Ire at forest recruitments

TT, Jalpaiguri: The Bengal forest department has decided to hire retired foresters as rangers and deputy rangers on a contractual basis, angering employees' unions.

Department sources said the decision to hire retired personnel on contract was taken because it was not getting adequate number of people for the jobs despite conducting recruitment exams through the public service commission.

The employees' unions, on the other hand, said the move would shrink the employment opportunities for youths.

On November 28, a principal chief conservator of forests issued a circular mentioning that the department would recruit 50 rangers and 100 deputy rangers from among retired foresters on contract.

"Those who have worked in these posts and are retired now will be hired on a contractual basis. They will get a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 (for rangers) and Rs 10,000 (for deputy rangers). Those aged up to 65 years can apply," a forest official said.

The official pay of a ranger is Rs 25,000 a month and that of a deputy ranger is Rs 22,000. Forest minister Binay Krishna Burman said: "Even after recruitment, we are facing problems. A section of candidates are reluctant to work in reserve forest areas. They instead want postings in other wings such as social forestry, parks and gardens or even in our offices. We don't have adequate manpower on the field.

"Also, many people are resigning after working for some time and even taking up private jobs." Burman said the retired employees had years of field work experience.

The trade unions, however, are not buying such arguments. "We are protesting because the move would shrink the employment opportunities for youths. Also, we apprehend that some retired employees who get the jobs may not be physically fit now. The promotion of senior forest guards to the post of deputy ranger would be affected as the number of vacancies would come down because of these recruitments," said Prabir Bhattacharya, the Jalpaiguri district president of the Trinamul-backed Paschimbanga Rajya Sarkari Karmachari Federation.