Srinagar, Oct 17: A delegation of the Agriculture Graduates Association Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday called on People’s Democratic Party (PDP) General Secretary Organisation and former Agriculture Minister, Adv Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura, and apprised him of their long-pending demands concerning the service structure, recruitment policy and career prospects of agriculture graduates in Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation, as per a statement, raised several key demands, including the creation of a Gazetted cadre for Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs) under SRO-433, entry-level provisions for Junior Agriculture Extension Officers (JAEOs) under SRO-442, a direct recruitment quota in the JAEO cadre, and the merger of the Agriculture Extension Assistant (AEA) and JAEO cadres.
Adv Gh Nabi Lone Hanjura gave the delegation a patient hearing and listened to their concerns regarding the future of agriculture graduates and the need for a fair and well-defined service structure.
Expressing concern over the issues raised by the delegation, Hanjura appealed to the government to consider and fulfil their genuine demands at the earliest, stating that the concerns of agriculture graduates must be addressed to safeguard their professional future and career prospects.
The former Agriculture Minister assured the delegation of his full support and said he would extend every possible assistance in taking up their concerns with the concerned authorities. He reiterated his commitment to raising their voice and advocating measures that would benefit agriculture graduates and strengthen the agricultural extension system in Jammu and Kashmir.
