Nalgonda: Government fails to provide even basic facilities to agriculture officials

Nalgonda: Though agriculture is one of the main departments in the district but officials' of the department are forced to work without offices at mandal level in Nalgonda district .

Along with their subordinates, agriculture extension officers, agriculture officers who are playing a key role in transferring technology developed at the agriculture universities to farmers and providing guidance in pest and diseases and implementing state and central schemes have been working without offices in majority of mandals in Nalgonda district.

As many as 31 agriculture officers (AOs)along with 3 AEOs each have been working at mandal level and are extending their cooperation in implementing the State and Central schemes which includes Rythu Bandhu , Rythu Bheema, Fasal Bheema Yojana, estimation of crop losses due to natural calamities, quality supply of inputs and seeds, pesticides, mini kits trails, new varieties implementation and paddy procurement quality analysis but they are discharging duties without minimum facilities.

Of the 31 mandals in the distric, agricultural offices were established at the Central government oil seeds godowns in 5 mandals, where as 15 agriculture offices are functioning from other government offices at the mercy of respective officers.

Two offices at Kanagal and Gurrampodu mandals have been functioning from abandoned Nagarjuna Sagar Project employee quarters.

Meanwhile, agriculture offices at Shaligowraram, Tirumalgiri, Adavidevulapally, Nerudugomma and other 12 mandals have been functioning from the private buildings and the rent of offices is being paid by the respective officials from their pockets.

As many as 110 agriculture extension officers have been discharging their duties in 31 mandals in the district , of them 40 AEOs are women are suffering a lot with lack of basic facilities.

On condition of anonymity, one of the agriculture officials informed that even though officials of the department are playing key role in setting records in paddy and other farm produces government failed to arrange department offices at mandal level and added that Minister for Agriculture expressed his inability with regard to setting up agriculture department offices in every mandal in the district when they were approached for accommodation.