Sikkim Unemployed Agriculture and Horticulture Graduate Association (SUAHGA) has taken out a rally to press its eight-point demands in Gangtok on Saturday.
The association has mainly demanded that the Sikkim State Agriculture Service Rule 1994 and Sikkim State Subordinate Service Rule 2001 should be followed strictly.
Before the rally, representatives of the association have also submitted a memorandum on their demands to the secretary of the department at Krishi Bhawan.
The rally started from Krishi Bhawan with banners and placards on demands of the association and followed the route on Krishi Bhawan to Indira Bye-Pass, Bye-Pass Road and finally ended at infront of district administration centre, East. After the rally, members of the association sat on dharna at in front of the gate of DAC.
The association has demanded immediate filling up of more than 151 number of post of agriculture and horticulture inspectors through direct recruitment and also to filling up of more than 40 posts in agriculture development officer, horticulture development officer and watershed development officer through direct recruitment.
The association has demanded to take out the notification on these two demands within three days of the submission of the memorandum.
The memorandum also demanded for no more one time relaxation for further recruitment, establishment of State Agriculture & Horticulture University, to immediately start B Sc courses in agriculture and horticulture from the session of 2019-20 in the upcoming Sikkim State University and all state colleges and introduction and implementation of agriculture and horticulture as a compulsory subject in ninth to 12th standard in all schools of Sikkim and recruitment of teachers under HRDD.
The association has also demanded for amendment of Sikkim State Subordinate Agriculture Service Rule 2001.
While mentioning that according to a notification of ICAR dated 06/10/2016 stated BSc agriculture and horticulture was a professional course which means agriculture and horticulture graduates were at par with medical and engineering graduates, the association demanded for the same weightage should be given to agriculture and horticulture graduate like medical and engineering graduates.
Speaking to media persons in Gangtok, a representative of the association, Bikash Subba stated that the agriculture and horticulture graduates have been compelled to come out on a rally to protest the continuous violation of the service rule and the rude behaviour of the departmental officials towards agriculture and horticulture graduates.
He clarified that the association has not been asking for jobs but has been demanding the service rules should be followed strictly and to create post for agriculture and horticulture graduates.
He added that these initiatives of the association would secure the future of juniors who have been pursuing degree in agriculture and horticulture.