Hundreds of students under the banner of All Indian Agricultural Students’ Association (AIASA), Odisha unit, held a demonstration at the lower PMG here on Monday pressing for fulfilment of various demands.
The demands include filling up of vacant posts of Agriculture Officer, Assistant Horticulture Officer, Assistant Soil Conservation Officer and other allied posts in the Agriculture Department, regular recruitment process like other States, increase number of posts for work efficiency and creation of new posts for agriculture graduates as Block Extension Officer.
Besides, they also demanded making the Block Agriculture Officer and Agriculture Officer posts as base-level posts and introducing a common written test for agriculture and allied services with a student allowed to choose one option.
AIISA Odisha president Anil Kumar Mishra said over the years the share of the agriculture sector in the State's GSDP has been declining due to the present scenario. As in the State one base-level officer is handling more than 15 panchayats, performance level goes low, he said.
There is lack of research and extension activities in the agriculture university and Government research institutes due to lack of researchers, research associates, extension officer and workers. The agriculture graduates are not getting enough job opportunities in the Government sector, he added.