In Almora, the Forest Department made Karan Arya, a teenager of only 17 years, a fire watcher. After losing his life due to forest fire in Binsar Sanctuary, Karan’s age was recorded as 21 years in the records, whereas according to the Aadhar card, Karan’s age is not even 17 years.
Social worker, human rights activist and RTI activist Bhupendra Kumar Laxmi filed a PIL in the Human Rights Commission Uttarakhand on 08/8/2024 and requested that, in Almora, the Forest Department made Karan Arya, a teenager of only 17 years, a fire watcher. The special thing is that after losing his life due to forest fire in Binsar Sanctuary, Karan’s age was recorded as 21 years in the records. Whereas according to the Aadhar card, Karan’s age is not even 17 years.
The family also showed Karan’s Aadhar card as proof of this.
In the Binsar case, one after another negligence of the forest department is coming to light. One of the four employees who died while extinguishing the fire in the forest of Gairad turned out to be a minor. Karan Arya, a resident of Bhetuli-Ayarpani, was declared to be 21 years old after the incident. But the Aadhar card shown by his family on Friday shows his date of birth as 20 September 2007. On this basis, Karan has not even completed 17 years yet. Local people have called it the negligence of the department. Karan’s cousin Himanshu told that Karan was working in the forest department as a fire watcher.
Karan Arya’s age was recorded as 21 years in the departmental records, but according to the Aadhar card, Karan had not even completed 17 years yet.
Vipin Kumar, Deputy Labor Commissioner, Labor Directorate has also said that it is illegal to employ a 17-year-old teenager in any private or government institution. If a 17-year-old boy was being made to work as a fire watcher in Almora, then this is a matter of investigation. If the matter is found to be true, strict action will be taken against the concerned department.
The Commission was requested that ‘the subject of the complaint is very serious and is related to the death of a teenager, so please take immediate action by calling for a report in public interest, state interest.’
Taking cognizance of the PIL by Justice Girdhar Singh Dharmashaktu, member of Human Rights Commission Uttarakhand, on 16 August 2024, notice was issued to DFO Almora and orders were issued.
Order
A complaint letter has been submitted by the complainant Bhupendra Kumar Laxmi regarding the work of fire watcher to a 17-year-old teenager.
A copy of the complaint letter should be sent to the Divisional Forest Officer, Almora. He will submit a report regarding the case by the due date.
It is to be noted that in case of non-action as per the above order of the Commission, appropriate orders will be passed by the Commission after consideration.
