Leh, Apr 21: A delegation led by senior leader BJP Ladakh and former member of parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal on Monday met Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, seeking immediate revision and enhancement of wages for Watch & Ward and Mali staff engaged with the Forest Department in Ladakh.
Raising the issue as a long-pending concern, the delegation pressed for administrative intervention, pointing out that a large section of the workforce continues to receive extremely low wages despite years of service in safeguarding forest resources and maintaining plantations across the region.
The delegation comprised Dr. Skalzang Dorjey, Sonam Norbu, and representatives of the workforce, including Mohd Baquir, Stanzin Wangial, Tashi Angmo, Phuntsog Angmo and Lela Bano. They drew attention to the financial distress faced by workers, some of whom are reportedly earning as little as Rs 25 per day, a figure they said is out of step with prevailing economic conditions.
Detailing the ground realities, the representatives underlined that many Watch & Ward and Mali staff have been discharging duties for decades under difficult terrain and climatic conditions, yet their remuneration has seen little revision. They argued that the existing wage structure fails to reflect both the nature of their responsibilities and the rising cost of living in Ladakh.
Calling for a fair and time-bound response, the delegation urged the administration to prioritise the matter and implement a rational wage framework that ensures basic economic security for the workers.
Chief Secretary Kundra, according to officials present, gave a patient hearing to the submissions and acknowledged the concerns raised. He assured the delegation that the issue would be examined on priority and that steps would be taken to revise wages at the earliest in a reasonable manner.
The meeting assumes importance amid growing demands from contractual and daily-wage workers in Ladakh for improved service conditions, with the outcome of this engagement likely to be closely watched by similar workforce groups across departments.
