9. Establishment of “KRISHI BHAVAN” at the State, District, Sub-Division and Block Levels:
Although through intervention of the Government, “ Krishi Bhavan” have been established in some of the Districts, the Association demands that Government should take appropriate action for establishment of “Krishi Bhavan” in all the Blocks, Sub-Divisions, Districts and at the State level to facilitate infra-structural development. Most of the rented office premises are located in shabby areas and buildings and are facing eviction order due to want of sufficient fund for rents. Also, a huge fund, now spent on rents from the Government exchequer, can be saved. In order to overcome all these problems, planned construction of ‘Krishi Bhavan’ should be prioritized.
10. Creation of new Sub-Divisions at par with Administrative set up of Home Department:
Association demands for immediate creation of Agricultural Sub-Divisions at par with Administrative set up for proper monitoring and supervision towards all round uniform agricultural development in the State with proper manning in all categories of staff in the newly created Sub-Divisions.
11. Creation of offices of Soil Conservation Wing in four newly created Agricultural Districts:
With the formation of Kalimpong as new district creation of the new post of Deputy Director of Agriculture (Administration), Soil Conservation, Hill Development, Kalimpong with ample staff strength is also demanded for smooth implementation of Govt. Developmental Schemes related to Soil & Water Conservation in Hill Region.
12 Immediate functioning of two Bio Control Laboratories one each at Tollygunge and Coochbehar with establishment of laboratories and manning as per posts sanctioned decades ago.
13. Specific Issues of the Research Wing:
a) Publication of Agricultural Research Policy in the light of G.O. No. 4528-Res./7C-1/83 dated 28.03.1983:
The State Research wing under the Department of Agriculture requires more funding and man power to improve the quality of research work. It is observed with great concern that the Research Wing fails to get the financial assistance from the allocation of plan budget as matching grant and subsequently from the central fund, which is generally mooted through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Under these circumstances, SATSA, WB demands a crystal clear Research Policy (Adaptive / Applied / Fundamental) to do justice to the individual skills and intellects of the Research Personnel.
b) Provision of research facilities as prevailing in ICAR:
According to the National Policy of Agriculture (NARP), Agricultural Research has been transferred to the State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) except West Bengal. The scientists serving in Research wing of the Directorate are carrying out the same research work as the scientists are doing in the SAUs or ICAR Institutes. SATSA, WB demands that the officers serving in the Research Wing of Agriculture Department, Govt. of West Bengal be provided the same facilities as are prevailing in ICAR system.
The main demands in this respect are:
i) Allowances for publishing research paper in scientific journals / periodicals.
ii) Special provision of funds including drawal of advance to attend workshop / seminar/ symposium / conference outside and inside the State or abroad which includes registration charges and travelling expenses.
iii) The scientists serving in the Research Wing of Agriculture Department, Govt. of West Bengal be given necessary permission to undertake projects funded by public and private sectors. The concerned scientists should also be given necessary permission to act as Principal Investigator for effective and proper utilization of the fund.
iv) Every Research Station should be manned with human resources covering experts of all disciplines for comprehensive development.
v) Creation of some posts in WBAS (Research) Cadre for strengthening the Bio-Control Laboratories at Tollygunj and Cooch Behar. The SATSA, West Bengal demands that the Bio-Control Laboratories at Tollygunj and Cooch Behar should be enriched with some Research personnel from the disciplines of Entomology and Mycology & Plant Pathology for effective running of these laboratories.c) Transfer of Research Wing of the State Agriculture Department to the SAUs:
Research Wing of the State Agriculture Department should be transferred to the SAUs in the perspective of NARP with suitable protection of service conditions.
14. Conferring Drawing and Disbursing Power to Assistant Director of Agriculture posted as head of office at Block, Farm, Soil Conservation and some Research Stations:
In view of the increasing importance of works and schemes, all officers up to Block level and Farm should immediately be manned fully with proper decentralization of Administration & Financial powers. The Assistant Director of Agriculture posted at Blocks, Farms and Soil Conservation Wing should be declared as DDO with necessary manning as well as transport and ICT facilities to enable them to discharge their duties smoothly.
As the Directorate recently suffers from huge shortfall of staff, the observation of the Finance Department to arrange those staff from existing resources is ridiculous. Unless staff is adequately sanctioned, Assistant Director of Agriculture should not be subjected to further humiliation and torture. Further, the Head of the Research substations situated at Bankura, Purulia and Gosaba should be declared as DDO with necessary infrastructure and manpower.
15. Opening of Bank Account of Asstt. DA (Admn.)of all the Sub-Divisions and DDO’s of Evaluation Wing :
The Association demands that separate bank accounts are urgently to be opened at all the above mentioned head of offices in the backdrop of direct flow of fund in number of schemes/programmes/FOAP/EPF going on under the Directorate as well as smooth functioning of those programmes/schemes.
16. Opening new avenues for Agricultural Technologists:
16.1 About 350 Agricultural Graduates emerge annually from BCKV, UBKV and Palli Siksha Bhavan, Visva Bharati but their employment at State Agricultural Department is limited.
16.2 The Association demands that suitable amendment in the Recruitment Rule may be made in other branches of Agriculture Department such as Evaluation, Meteorology, Agricultural Marketing, Financial Institutes like Banks, Co-operatives, CADC, DRDA, Rural Development etc. to make room for Agril. Graduates.
16.3 Generation of Employment opportunity in schools by introducing courses on Agriculture can well be taken up into consideration to make available the modern Agricultural Technical knowhow at the door step of farmers.
17. Creation of a total of 692 nos. of additional posts of Assistant Director of Agriculture @ 2 in each Block of West Bengal.
17.1 The Agril. Technologists working at the very grass root level since Independence has been subjected to sheer apathy and neglect. Proper working facilities (office, residential quarter) were not provided despite having such provisions under World Bank Assistance during 1970. Virtually most offices are run by the lone Asstt. DA with 1-3 other sub-ordinate staffs including KPS due to vacancies. As such, what the Govt. or the Society as a whole, can ask, or more precisely expect, from Asstt. DAs of blocks.
17.2 Presently there is only one Agricultural Technologist at the Block level working under the Department of Agriculture as Assistant Director of Agriculture, who has to perform all the statutory works besides looking after the office administration, implementation of a number of schemes under the Department, effective role in the PRIs for agricultural development & visits, organizing farmers meeting etc. It is imperative that it is practically impossible to shoulder such a huge responsibility for a single person to the desired level. Apart from this, ongoing Centrally Sponsored flagship Schemes, like RKVY, BGREI,NFSM,ATMA, NRAA, BSBY, PKVY, BKSY, SDRF, KCC, Krishak Bandhu, P M Kishan and many others to come, would be and being implemented. It is quite absurd for the Assistant Director of Agriculture, being overburdened already, can perform those herculean tasks.
17.3 Besides performing statutory administrative jobs, the Assistant Director of Agriculture of blocks have to perform enforcement activities as Fertilizer Inspectors, Seed Inspectors and Insecticide Inspectors, in addition to dissemination of modern and updated technologies to farmers.
17.4 The Association therefore, demands for creation of additional 692 additional posts of Assistant Director of Agriculture @ two (02) in each of the 346 Agricultural blocks in the State as it has been done earlier in ARD Department.