Chandigarh, May 20

Hundreds of senior officers of the Agriculture Department, including agriculture development officers, deputy directors and joint directors, started a two-day strike today to protest the failure of the state government in filling vacancies of technocrats at the top level by promoting junior eligible officers.

The officers shunned official work, though they continued to provide farmers with extension services. They raised slogans outside district offices and blamed the government for not being sympathetic to their demands.

An official press release by the Agriculture Technocrats Action Committee said though technocrats were the main force behind Green Revolution and increasing crop production in the state, the government had failed to acknowledge their contribution in making the state among the top foodgrain producers in the country.

“While eligible candidates are awaiting promotion, the services provided by the department to farmers are adversely hit as each officer was forced to look after two to three districts as vacancies remained unfilled,” said the release. — TNS