Dehradun: The Uttarakhand Forest Department has decided to provide uniform allowance and laundry allowance to field staff. The government has issued an order for this. Forest staff had been demanding this for a long time. Now, their demand has been met before the New Year.
Uniform and laundry allowances for Forest Department field staff increased: The Uttarakhand government has provided significant relief to Forest Department field staff by significantly increasing the uniform allowance and laundry allowance at the end of the year. Following a long-standing demand, the government has issued an order, directly benefiting many field workers, including Forest Range Officers and Deputy Forest Officers. This decision is considered to boost the morale of forest workers working day and night in the field.
Uniform Allowance Doubled: According to the government order, Forest Range Officers and Deputy Forest Officers previously received a uniform allowance of ₹1,500 once every three years. However, under the new system, this allowance has been doubled to ₹3,000. This increase in uniform allowance was long overdue, given the increasing workload, difficult field conditions, and the need to maintain uniform quality.
Laundry Allowance Increased More Than Six-Fold: A significant change has also been made in the rates of uniform laundry allowance. Until now, Forest Range Officers and Deputy Forest Officers received a laundry allowance of only ₹45 per month. The government has increased this allowance to ₹300 per month. Field-level employees such as Forest Inspectors, Forest Guards, and Jamadars will also benefit from an increase in laundry allowance. Until now, they received ₹30 per month. According to the new rate, they will now receive ₹200 per month.
However, there has been no change in the uniform allowance for Forest Inspectors and Forest Guards. The previous system remains unchanged. Despite this, these employees have seen the increase in uniform laundry allowance as a relief.
Forest personnel welcomed: Forest department field personnel had long been demanding an increase in uniform and laundry allowances. Finally, the government has taken a positive decision on this demand and issued orders. Departmental employees have also welcomed this decision and expressed their gratitude. The new orders are being seen as a big year-end welcome for field staff.
