COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Forest Department staff have to spend their own money to purchase uniform or rely on raincoats and shoes gifted by NGOs as the state government is yet to release an enhanced allowance through a Government Order in this regard which was issued four months ago.
As per the GO the uniform allowance has been raised to Rs 4,500 from Rs 2,800 to the Forest Department staff on par with the state police personnel.
The GO was issued on August 27 and there are only four months left for the completion of the 2025-26 financial year, but the Forest Department has yet to release the amount and has not yet informed the staff the reason for the delay.
On this account the forest department has to pay in all Rs 1,98,18,000 for 539 range officers, 1,146 foresters, 2053 forest guards, and 126 forest guards with driving licences.
"After two years of requests, the department led by Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, has passed a GO enhancing the allowance to Rs 4,500 per annum to 4,404 staff, starting from forest guards to range officers. Not even a single division has received the amount in the state so far," said a Forest Department employee on condition of anonymity.
"Moreover, a large number of our staff in the few divisions in the state have not received the previous uniform allowance of Rs 2,800 yet. The pending amount for the previous financial year should have been given to them before March 31, 2025. However, there were no signs for releasing it," the forest department official noted.
The staff had also alleged that they had been spending their own money for the uniform and alleged that the GO was issued without a purpose.
The staff also alleged that a raincoat and a pair of shoes were also not given to the staff.
"The staff across the state have also not received a raincoat and a pair of shoes in the last three years. These were purchased and given to the staff using the funds sourced from trust developed in the division or the tiger reserves. Also, the same were gifted by NGOs like WWF in a few divisions," said a forest range officer who is a member of the Tamil Nadu Forest Staff Association.