KATHMANDU: The mistakenly uttered words by the Minister for Information and Communications and the government spokesperson Shanker Pokharel on July 23, has stirred up the hornets' nest of forest guards here.

The Minister was then briefing media persons on a Cabinet decision on the promotion of forest guards when he wrongly interpreted it.

The Minister's words have now become the base of protest for forest guards, who swarmed around the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) today, demanding for the implementation of the Cabinet decision, as made public by the Minister.

But the ministry clarified that no such decision has ever been made. "The reality was that the cabinet decided to forward the case of forest guards to the administrative committee of the Cabinet for further action," said Madhav Prasad Acharya, Director General, Department of Forest.

But the forest guards' association insisted that since the decision was already announced in public by Minister Pokharel, it should be implemented.

"We will not budge an inch from our demand. We'll continue to protest until a decision on our promotion is announced," the Association's President Uttam Katawal, said.

Forest guards have also collected newspaper clippings as proof of the statement made by the Minister.

There are 2,791 forest guards across the nation. They claim that though they draw the ration from the government just like the Nepali Army, Police and Armed Police Force personnel, they don't have a class.

"Unlike the Army, Police and APF personnel, we are classless. It's unfair," reiterated Katawal.

A taskforce has been constituted by a Cabinet decision to sort out the demands of the forest guards. The Administrative Committee has appointed the Secretary of the Forest and Soil Conservation as the coordinator and the Director General of the Department of Forest as the member secretary and the joint secretaries from the Ministry of General Administration, Law and Finance as the members of the task force.

The forest guards had also ghearoed the Ministry two weeks ago and have been putting intense pressure on the Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation to implement their demands.

“The Department of Forest is reeling under pressure due to the mistakenly spell out words,” said Acharya, adding, “It is up to the Cabinet's Administrative Committee to proceed with the case. We don't have the authority to fulfill their demands,”

When promoted, the forest guards will be upgraded to third class officials, and will receive the facilities commensurate with other officials.