Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Technocrats Association (JKATA) has urged upon the Government to provide insurance cover to the Agriculture officials at par with the Health employees.
A JKATA delegation led by its president, Dr Surinder Radotra called on Director Agriculture Jammu Inderjit Kumar and discussed burning issues of the Agriculture Extension Assistant (AEA’s) cadre of the UT of J&K and others.
The Association appreciated UT Administration for tireless efforts to contain this
Corona virus pandemic, spreading its tentacles in Jammu and Kashmir,but at the same time AEA’s working as Corona warriors whose life is also at stake, should be covered under insurance cover at par with health workers of Rs 50 lakh each by issuing a separate notification (as already announced/published by various state Governments of the country).
He said Agriculture Extension Assistants of the department are rendering their services since 2007, without any pension benefits and in case of any mishappening, their families will be on the verge of starvation as unlike RET, their period of nine years of service has not been included in their regular service which (NPS)deprive them of family pension.
Union further stressed for early conduct of DPC of AEA’s and maintaining of seniority at state/UT level, which has been lingering for over more than three years. They urged upon the Navin Kumar Chowdhary, Principal Secretary APD and Inderjit Kumar, Director Agriculture Jammu to look into the matter and conduct DPC at the earliest.
The Union also appealed to the Agriculture Technocrats working as Corona warriors to adopt proper precautionary measures while serving. Director Agriculture Jammu gave them patient hearing and assured them about early redressal of their issues.