New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the release of salaries of daily wage workers working in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Amangarh Tiger Reserve, and Katarnia Ghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh, who have been not paid for the past 11 months.

The plea filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal also sought direction to Centre, Uttar Pradesh, and the National Tiger Conservation Authority to constitute a high-level committee to suggest measures for mitigation of the hardship which the daily wage workers are bound to face during the performance of their duties.

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“With all due responsibility and as an officer of the court, the petitioner who is constantly working in the field of environment and wildlife wish to submit before this court that for Respondent No. 03 (Uttar Pradesh government) these daily wage workers may amount nothing to them but in reality, most of they are not less than 'eyes and ears' for the forest administration of the said three tiger reserves”, the plea of Bansal said.

The petitioner said that he has taken legal interviews of more than 20 such daily wagers and has learnt that their families are living in very pathetic condition due to non-payment of salaries for the past last 11 months and even a wife of one of such daily wage workers has committed suicide because of the said financial distress.

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“It is also respectfully submitted that owing to the acute financial crisis resulting from non-payment of salaries of more than 11 months daily wage workers as well as their family members of these three Tiger Reserves (Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, and Amangarh Tiger Reserve) are on the verge of starvation”, the plea said.

Bansal said that by way of not paying the salaries to more than 1200 daily wage workers who are working for the protection and conservation of biodiversity flora and fauna, wildlife, and ecology of the three tiger reserves, the Uttar Pradesh government has not only escaped its liability in the matter of payment of salaries to its employees but has also compromised with the protection and conservation of the Tiger Reserves.

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