Agri Extension Workers want post of Field Assistants done away with

SUBASH RAI

GANGTOK, 20 March: The post of Field Assistants, created through a notification in the year 2002 by the Agriculture Department, must be done away with so that the posts of VLWs lying vacant in the Department can be filled the Fieldmen on promotion. This was one of the main agendas in the general meeting of the Sikkim Agriculture Extension Worker’s Association [SAEWA] held here today at the Department’s Conference Hall.
The meeting was also attended by representatives of the All Sikkim Muster Roll and Workcharged Association, Sikkim Agriculture Officer’s Welfare Association [SAOWA], MR and Workcharged employees of the Agriculture Department from all the four districts of Sikkim.

Speaking to NOW! after the meeting, DB Gurung, president of SAEWA, which represents non-gazetted employees in the Department,  said, “The notification of 2002 makes Fieldman as Field Assistants after promotion, which is a non-promotional post.”
He said that this has created a huge vacuum in the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments as there were several posts of VLWs lying vacant because the post of FA has blocked down-level employees to fill up these posts.
Supporting him, DB Rasaily, member of the MR & Workcharged Association said, “If the post of FAs are abolished, the down level employees will be promoted upwards and the senior MR employees will have better chances of regularization.”
He argued that the Department must do away with this post and those MR employees working in the Department for more than 15 years must be regularized.
The speakers at the meeting also informed the gathering that the Department has appointed PhD and MSc. degree holders as Inspectors, whereas the qualifications of these employees are of Deputy Director rank.
“If these employees were given the appropriate posts, the junior level employees will have better chances of getting the promotions,” said SAOWA general secretary, PK Subba, adding that some of the employees in the Department have been awaiting promotions for more than 25 years.
In his final remarks, the Director, NRM, P.T. Bhutia, who was invited to the meeting as chief guest and also to hear the grievances on behalf of the Department, assured that he will put up all the grievances with the concerned authorities and proper solutions for the problems will be worked-out soon in consultation with representatives of the all associations.