Allowance doubled for staff of tiger reserves

NEW DELHI: In what will be a major morale booster to thousands of staff deployed in the country's tiger reserves, government has approved their long-pending demand to double their existing monetary allowance.

According to a senior official of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the revised rates of project allowance would be applicable from September 2008.

The allowance is an incentive for officials who work in very harsh and deficient conditions and the recent move to double it is in keeping with Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh's promise made last year in this regard.

With the new order, the increase in the allowances will be in the range of Rs 2000 to Rs 700 for field directors, assistant directors, research officers/ veterinary officers, forest rangers, foresters and forest guards posted in remote areas.

There are around 39 tiger reserves in 17 states across the country providing home to around 1,411 big cats.

The move is also expected to attract the best talent and dedicated staff to work in the remote and rough terrain in the tiger reserves, the NTCA official said.

The government has also been taking steps to ensure staff welfare inputs like residential accommodation for the children of frontline staff in nearby towns and villages and other basic needs.

Read more: Allowance doubled for staff of tiger reserves - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/h...#ixzz13oZF3xsx

It is a good move. The increased salary will definitely be of help to our frontline force. Most of the time they are underpaid, over worked, highly stressed. This salary hike should send the right signals to them that the Government is aware of their difficult working conditions. Though this is not going to make any difference to the forest officials indulging in corruption, these salary hikes remove the alibi of the forest officials for becoming corrupt.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi