Ludhiana, May 5
The Agro Technocrats Action Committee (AGTAC), Punjab, has sought the cancellation of the notification, issued on November, 2000, which has downgraded the post of Agriculture Development Officer (ADO) to Agriculture Inspector. The notification has further recommended a new pay scale of Rs 5480-8995 from Rs 7220-11660 for the newly recruited ADOs. The association has been protesting against the notification as it has recommended the downgrading of posts. The Agriculture Department has agreed to review the decision. The Finance Department is also reported to have already cleared the file for de-notification. It is now reportedly lying with the Chief Minister.
Dr Charanjit Singh Kainth, General Secretary, Plant Doctors Services Association, Ludhiana, said, “The initial scale of the Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) had been fixed at Rs 7220-11660, but according to the notification, the post was renamed as Agriculture Inspector and the scale was fixed at Rs 5480-8995. The Agriculture Minister, Mr Gurdev Singh Badal, has assured us to rectify the mistake at the earliest. We have demanded the restoration of pay parity with veterinary officers that we have been enjoying earlier.”
It may be pointed out that the state government had recruited 147 ADOs in November, 2000, through the Punjab Public Service Commission as Class I officers. Later on, these posts were downgraded to Class III and the scales were revised.
Mr Kainth agreed that till now they were getting salary under the unrevised scales but the sword was hanging on their head and the scales may be downgraded any time as recommended by the Fourth Pay Commission. He disclosed that the Agriculture Department of Punjab has been getting National Productivity Award for the past four years due to their efforts. But the state government was treating them very badly.
He said there was no justification in the notification as the ADOs were providing extension services to the farmers that helped the state to become food surplus state. Now they were concentrating on increasing the quality of crops besides production. Most of them have MSc (agriculture) degrees and about 25 of them were even PhD in Agriculture. Their pay-parity should not be disturbed, he added.
The District Plant Association had held a massive protest rally on April 30 here when the Chief Agriculture Officer, Ludhiana, withdrew their salaries in the name of Agriculture Inspectors. A meeting was held here yesterday and the Chief Agriculture Officer promised that he would not make such mistake in future.
Mr Kainth appealed to the agro-technocrats to participate in the zonal rally to be held on May 19 at Fatehgarh Sahib. The rally is being organised by the AGTAC to force the government to cancel the notification. He disclosed that such rallies would be held at Mukatsar on June 2 and at Jalandhar on June 16. The action committee has asked the members to observe a protest week from June 7 by wearing black badges.
