Labour Payment Dispute Leads to Vandalism at Forest Office
Rayagada:- An unusual incident took place at the Mandibishi Forest Office under the Kashipur forest range. Alleging non-payment of wages, a youth vandalised the office premises. According to reports, he also abused the officials. Forester S. Mishra lodged a complaint at the Kashipur police station. Police registered a case, later issued a notice, and released the accused.
The youth was identified as Jaysingh Majhi of Pipalpadar village, who had been engaged as a labourer in plantation and other forestry works under Kashipur forest range. On Tuesday, alleging irregular payment of wages, he went to the Mandibishi Forest Office carrying an axe. He reportedly abused the officials, threatened to kill them, and damaged the office door with the axe.
When contacted, Forester S. Mishra clarified that wages had already been deposited into the bank accounts of Jaysingh and his wife in two instalments amounting to ₹28,000. However, he claimed that Jaysingh was repeatedly coming to the office demanding cash payment and creating disturbances.On the other hand, Jaysingh presented a different version. He stated that afforestation work had been carried out over nearly 8 hectares of forest land in Durapai Ujuda Reserve Forest. For fencing the plantation, he alleged that the forester had agreed to pay ₹50,000. Four persons worked for 25 days. But after completion of work, whenever they demanded wages, the payment was being delayed under various pretexts. “On Tuesday, I only argued over the pending payment,” Jaysingh said, denying the forester’s allegations.
Reported by Gouri Shankar Pattnaik
