Scores of horticulture professionals on Thursday held a protest at Press Enclave here to press for their demands including job policy and implementation of Rehbar-e-Bagbani (REB) scheme, among other demands.
The protesting professionals which include graduates, postgraduates and scholars assembled under the banner of ‘All J&K Horticulturegraduates Association” to press for their demands.
They said they have been demanding change in eligibilitycriteria for posts like horticulture development officer (HDO), assistantfloriculture officer, from M Sc to B Sc horticulture. “But the government isnot addressing our genuine demand,” said Ghulam Jeelani, President of theAssociation.
“We also want implementation of Rehbar-e-Bagbani schemewhich was brought in 2018 for job creation but was never implemented due toofficial apathy,” he said, adding there has been no recruitment carried in thedepartment from past more than a decade.
“Last time we filed an RTI and got to know that 95 post ofHDO are lying vacant. The department has failed to advertise these posts,leaving us high and dry,” said Shahid Qayoom, one of the protestingprofessional.
At present, they said, around 900 agriculture graduates, andpost graduates were without any job, and every year 150 graduates pass out formstate’s agriculture universities.