Charges of overriding Central norms shroud Agri department

By A Staff Reporter

IMPHAL | Sept 2

The chief minister N. Biren has been appraised that the state agricultural policy is not being implemented in totality and contradictory to central norms.

Moreover, the director of the department is keeping key charges to himself and the contractual staff of Agricultural Technology Mission Agency (ATMA) has been left high and dry.

The state has not paid out 10 months salary for the said staffs whereas the ATMA staffs are the ones which are tendering grassroot level work to aid the farmers and implementing various schemes commenced by the centre.

They have been sidelined from carrying out their duty as extension workers and contradictory to central norms, been taken over by the state Agriculture Department.

As per complaints of the ATMA staffs and a memorandum submitted to the chief minister, Manipur, in the regard, it mentions that filling up of vacant posts in ATMA and SAMETI is mandatory as per guidelines of 2010 for desired impact as activities performed by the additional charge by the officers of state department were not optimal below the block level but many higher posts are lying vacant and the current posts are being occupied by the staff of the agriculture department as in charge or additional charge.

The objective of the scheme “Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms” can be achieved only through strengthened institutional management, dedicated manpower and revamped strategies but there is at present weak institutional management and very less dedicated manpower of higher posts at district and state level.

The post of State Nodal Officer and SAMETI Director, is taken charge by the Agriculture Director and majority of the posts of Project Directors(PDs) are taken over by the District Agricultural Officers, whereas the Director and DAOs do not meet the essential criteria or qualified enough to take charge. Whereas, as per central guidelines Coordinator, Gender Coordinator shall be appointed as contractual, whereas, SAMETI Director, SAMETI Deputy Directors, Project Directors and Deputy Project Directors shall be appointed on deputation/appointment/secondment from the Agriculture & Allied Departments.

The Agriculture Department is directed by the centre to converge extension related works and various missions and schemes like MIDH, NFSM, RKVY, PMKSY, KVK under NMAET to act as an overarching umbrella at district level to oversee all extension related activities which should be performed by ATMA staffs but this has not happened in practice.

It was also envisaged in the ATMA scheme that manpower support under ATMA will also look after the work related to RKVY, NFSM, National Project on Soil Health and Fertility, etc. as mandated under respective scheme. However, while reviewing progress of implementation and feedback received from various states it was found that there is lacking of convergence between ATMA and Krishi Vigyan Kendras; and between ATMA and line department at district level.

Further, as per decision arrived to by the chief secretary, government of Manipur on August 18th last, it was decided among others that to review the implementation of major programmes of Agriculture Department – the District Agriculture Officer should be made Project Officer for ATMA in the districts to avoid redundancies in the form of separate Project Officer which is a gross violation of central norms.