Uttarakhand: A major initiative by the Dhami government: After UPNAL employees, daily wage workers of the Forest Department will now receive this benefit

The Uttarakhand government, under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, is continuously making significant decisions regarding employees and laborers. Following the recent announcement of equal pay for equal work for UPNL employees, preparations are now underway to provide a major benefit to hundreds of daily wage workers in the Forest Department. The government has seriously considered providing minimum wages to daily wage workers under the Forest Department in accordance with the Seventh Pay Commission, and a cabinet sub-committee has given its approval to this proposal.

In fact, daily wage workers in the Forest Department perform extremely risky and complex tasks. These workers play a crucial role in patrolling forests, wildlife-related activities, firefighting, and preventing illegal logging. Considering these circumstances, the government decided to improve their wage structure. To this end, a cabinet sub-committee was formed under the chairmanship of Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal.

The sub-committee, in its meeting, recommended that daily wage workers of the Forest Department be given minimum wages in line with the Seventh Pay Commission. The committee agreed on a minimum wage of Rs. 18,000 per month. This recommendation will now be placed before the government, and after Chief Minister Dhami’s approval, the proposal will be brought before the cabinet. Once the state cabinet gives its approval, approximately 700 daily wage workers of the Forest Department will start receiving a minimum wage of Rs. 18,000.

It is worth noting that earlier, the Uttarakhand government had issued an order to provide dearness allowance to about 300 daily wage workers. This decision was taken in 2020 under the directions of the Supreme Court. However, all the workers did not benefit from it at that time. The cabinet sub-committee was formed to ensure that the remaining daily wage workers also receive equal benefits. In the first month of 2026, the Dhami government has provided significant relief to thousands of UPNL employees, and now the path is being cleared for minimum wages for hundreds of daily wage workers in the Forest Department. This decision will not only strengthen the financial condition of these employees but also boost their morale. The Dhami government has consistently stated that it prioritizes the interests of state employees and workers, and these decisions are therefore considered politically significant. The decision is expected to be formally implemented in the coming days after cabinet approval, which will bring about a major change in the lives of daily wage workers in the forest department.

However, the daily wage workers say that if the government provides a minimum wage along with a dearness allowance, it would benefit them even more. They have also demanded that the government pay them arrears. Prithvi Singh Rana, president of the Daily Wage Employees Union, said that the government should provide daily wage employees with the minimum wage and other benefits as per the Supreme Court’s orders, and the employees are demanding that the government take a decision on this matter to protect their interests.