Employees of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh have threatened to vacate their camps and suspend work if their pending wages for six months are not released within 10 days. The employees said they have been facing severe financial difficulties as their wages have remained unpaid since April 2026, despite continuing to work in the protection and management of the reserve.
In a memorandum addressed to the Conservator of Forests and the Field Director of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve in Miao, contingency and Project Tiger employees sought the immediate release of their outstanding wages for the period from April to September 2026.
The employees said the prolonged delay in payment had made it increasingly difficult for them to meet basic household expenses, including food, children’s school fees, medical treatment, electricity bills and cooking gas charges.
According to the memorandum, several employees had initially depended on credit from local shopkeepers to manage their daily needs. However, as their outstanding dues continued to accumulate, shopkeepers reportedly stopped extending credit. This forced some employees to borrow money to meet household expenses, adding to their financial burden through interest payments to moneylenders.
The employees also expressed concern over the approaching festive season, saying the absence of regular wages had left their families struggling to arrange essential provisions, clothing and other customary expenses.
They said the continued delay had affected not only their financial security but also their morale and dignity, despite their commitment to their duties in the Forest Department.
The memorandum further alleged that delays in wage payments had become a recurring problem. According to the employees, they had repeatedly been required to submit representations and resort to peaceful protests before their pending dues were released.
The employees said such repeated delays had created uncertainty for their families and made it difficult to plan even their basic monthly expenses. They called for timely payment of wages, stressing that those engaged in the protection and management of the reserve should not have to struggle to meet their daily needs because of unpaid salaries.
Setting a deadline of 10 days from the submission of the memorandum, the employees warned that they would vacate their camps and suspend work if all outstanding wages were not released within the stipulated period.
They also announced plans to organise a peaceful and democratic protest in accordance with the law if their demand remained unaddressed.
Invoking the slogan “No Pay, No Work”, the employees stated that they would not resume their duties until their full wages for the six-month period were paid.
The memorandum was submitted by the contingency and Project Tiger employees of Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve. A list of employees bearing their signatures was attached to the representation.
The threatened action could affect the availability of staff for work at the reserve if the dispute remains unresolved. The employees have called for the immediate clearance of their dues, saying the continued delay has placed considerable pressure on their families.
The memorandum places the issue of delayed wage payments at the centre of concerns raised by the reserve’s employees, who have sought a time-bound resolution from the authorities.
