Dear Comrades,
Cloudbursts, landslides and flash
floods are an annual affair in Uttarakhand. The monsoon of 2010 brought with it
such massive losses of lives, property, crops and infrastructure that the state
said its development clock had been set back by a decade. Things are much, much
worse this year. With many highways damaged, bridges washed away, electricity
and phone networks down, several ravaged places continue to be marooned.
Expect the final tally to be horrifying. After all, the speediest monsoon in
over 50 years has just dumped over 400% more than average rainfall over Uttarakhand and neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.
Himachal chief minister blames nature's fury — against which all disaster management must, presumably, fail. This characterisation is deceptive. India's premier disaster management body neither has implemented any project successfully nor has much information over progress at the state level. As for the Met, it's passing the buck by saying the state government had been warned about torrential rains on Friday night. Even if local administration had understood the implications of meteorological data, it didn't have much time to put out effective warnings across a state where 65% of the area is under forests.
The bottom line is that in a region that has more reason than most for disaster preparedness, both local and central arms of the government have been greatly wanting. Personnel of the Army, Border Roads Organisation and Indo-Tibetan Border Police are trying their best. But a couple of dozen helicopters flying a few hundred sorties a day to rescue a region full of distressed citizens is emblematic of millennial India's broken promises. Some of these sorties were abandoned for want of fuel, while helplines are not giving nearly as much help as they should.
Himachal chief minister blames nature's fury — against which all disaster management must, presumably, fail. This characterisation is deceptive. India's premier disaster management body neither has implemented any project successfully nor has much information over progress at the state level. As for the Met, it's passing the buck by saying the state government had been warned about torrential rains on Friday night. Even if local administration had understood the implications of meteorological data, it didn't have much time to put out effective warnings across a state where 65% of the area is under forests.
The bottom line is that in a region that has more reason than most for disaster preparedness, both local and central arms of the government have been greatly wanting. Personnel of the Army, Border Roads Organisation and Indo-Tibetan Border Police are trying their best. But a couple of dozen helicopters flying a few hundred sorties a day to rescue a region full of distressed citizens is emblematic of millennial India's broken promises. Some of these sorties were abandoned for want of fuel, while helplines are not giving nearly as much help as they should.
In Uttarakhand circle especially Seasonal Post
Offices to G.D.S. employees Problems cannot be imagined such situations . Keeping
in view the geographical and climatic condition of the area is Himalayan Valley
there are many seasonal post Offices in the snow bound hilly areas which are
kept open only for 6/7 months during summer and will remain closed for the next
5/6 months every year. The employees working in such Post Offices are kept out
of job during the off season and neither any kind of leave is granted to them
nor any kind of allowance/alternative job is given to them. Under such
circumstances these employees have to struggle even for their survival. Such
employees should either be granted half pay leave/special leave or they should
be attached to the neighboring Post Offices so that they may earn something for
their survival till the next year’s working starts.
No Provision of special amenities
to the Gramin Dak Sevak working in odd situations in hilly areas. Keeping in view the geographical and
climatic condition of the country, the G.D.S. are working in a pitiable
condition as compare to other employees of Govt. of India and they face much
difficulties on account of odd climatic and geographical condition remoteness
of areas, dangerous hilly routes of traveling, snow falls, land slides etc. A
brief description of hardships faced by the employees is submitted as under and
the proposals for redressal of the grievances are also noted against each.
Remoteness of areas: Most of
the hilly areas are not so easy of access. These areas are generally spread
over in remote corners of hills and high mountains much far away from Rail or
Bus heads. The employees have to travel on foot. The essential commodities are
rarely available and at a very high cost. No basic facilities are available
there. The Departmental employees are compensated in the form of remote
locality allowance/Border area allowance/Difficult area allowance, backward
area allowance. But the E.D. employees (G.D.S) are deprived from the same. A
provision of similar allowance should also be made to the Gramin Dak Sevaks
Odd climatic condition/difficulties to G.D.S.:
It is very
difficult to explain all the difficulties. These may rather be experienced by a
physical survey of experts. These
difficulties may be compensated by raising the minimum working hours/work-load
from the existing 3 hours to 5 hours. In accordingly ,more than 5hours. Providing
boots, shoes, warm clothing and rain coat etc. to enable the poor employees to
perform their duties with a sense of security.Granting
additional insurance cover to the employees those who are working in risky
areas at high altitudes.Granting
hard duty allowance/Risk allowance for the specially identified in dangerous
areas.
