Over 37% Agriculture Deptt posts vacant in Nagpur Division
| Date :17-May-2019 |
By Kartik Lokhande:
With less than a month remaining for Kharif agricultural season to begin, State Agriculture Department is facing a problem in managing its affairs in Nagpur Division. For, more than 37 per cent of its posts are lying vacant. This has obviously affected its functioning ahead of the crucial season. The shocking information is revealed in an internal review of the State Agriculture Department. The review was taken ahead of State-level Kharif planning meeting scheduled to be held in Mumbai on May 29. The meeting will be chaired by Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister.
According to officials, who wished to remain unnamed, vacancies are there in almost every administrative division in the State. As far as Nagpur Division is concerned, it covers six districts namely Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli. State Agriculture Department has several offices in the division, including the office of Joint Director (Agriculture) at Nagpur. There are total 3,915 posts sanctioned for Nagpur Division offices of State Agriculture Department. Of these, 1,477 (37.73 per cent) are lying vacant.
The vacancies are a result of retirement of staffers and lack of recruitment. Of the sanctioned posts, Group-A has 41 posts of which nine are vacant, Group-B has 375 posts of which 199 are vacant, Group-C has 2,854 posts of which 892 are vacant, and Group-D has 645 of which 377 are vacant. Group-A comprises posts of Superintending Agriculture Officer (SAO), Deputy Director, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO). Group-B has posts of Agriculture Officer and Tehsil Agriculture Officer. Group-C has posts of Supervisor, Agricultural Assistant. Group-D has posts of Peon. In Group-A, nine out of total 41 are lying vacant. In Gondia district, both the posts of SAO and Deputy Director are vacant and SDO is looking after these charges.
The post of Agriculture Development Officer in Zilla Parishad also is vacant in Gondia district, said an officer in the know of things. As a result of vacancies, policy decisions, supervision, monitoring, and timely implementation of various schemes and initiatives of the Government is getting affected. Field-level operations also are hampered due to inadequate number of staff. In some offices, due to want of Peons, officers have to close the offices at the end of the day, rued an officer.