Nalgonda: Agricultural officers working without offices

Nalgonda: Though relaxation was granted for agricultural activities, the agricultural officers were forced to work without offices at mandal-level in Nalgonda district.

Along with their subordinates, agriculture extension officers (AEO) and agriculture officers (AO), who play key role in transferring technology developed at agriculture universities to farmers and in providing guidance in pest and diseases control and in implementing State and Central schemes, have been working without office in majority of the mandals in the district.

As many as 31 AOs and three AEOs have been working at mandal level and extending their cooperation in implementing State and Central schemes including Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, Fasal Bima Yojana, estimation of crop losses due to natural calamities, quality supply of inputs seeds, pesticides, mini kits trails, implementation of new varieties, Paddy procurement, quality analysis. Of the 31 mandals in the district, own buildings for agricultural offices were established at Central government oil seeds godowns in five mandals, whereas 15 agriculture offices are functioning from other government offices at the mercy of the respective officers.

Offices were set up in the abandoned quarters of Nagarjuna Sagar Project employees in Kanagal and Gurrampodu mandals. Meanwhile, agriculture officers in Shaligowraram, Tirumalgiri, Adavidevulapally, Nerudugomma and other 12 mandals have been functioning from private buildings and the officials concerned are paying the office rent from their pockets.

As many as 110 Agriculture Extension Officers have been discharging their duties in 31 mandals in the district and of them, 40 AEOs are women, who are suffering due to lack of basic facilities.

On condition of anonymity, an agriculture officer said that even though officials of agriculture department are playing key role in setting records in collecting paddy and other farm produces, the government had failed to arrange department offices at mandal level.

The AO added that even the district Minister and the Agriculture Minister had expressed their inability in setting up agriculture department offices in every mandal in the district when the officials asked them for accommodation.