Assam: Withdrawal of employers’ contribution under NPS protested in Jorhat

TINSUKIA : Phase-wise protest programme by the employees of Krishi Vigyan Kendras under Assam Agricultural University (AAU) began with a daylong sit-in protest programme held on Wednesday in front of the Administrative building of Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat against the abrupt decision of withdrawal of NPS (employer contribution) and non-implementation of ROP & Service Regulations for Krishi Vigyan Kendra employees under Agricultural University.

Although KVKs under AAU have been facing different issues related to their pay benefits, promotions, service regulations, post- retirement benefits etc. for a long time but due to few of the unjustified and stubborn decisions taken by the ICAR and AAU, the employees are driven into into great financial insecurity and hardship situation. 

According to KEWA, a welfare society for the employees of Krishi Vigyan Kendra under AAU, they had declared a phase-wise protest programme from May 10 and subsequent programmes were taken up after AAU authority could not convince and justify the representatives of KEWA regarding the KVK issues raised during the official meeting held on May 13.

The protest programme on Tuesday started at 10.00 am by lighting the lamp in front of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. During sit-in the AAU authority and ICAR officials namely Tapan Gohain, Registrar, Dr Manoranjan Neog, Director of Extension Education AAU, Dr. Kadirvel Govindsamy, Director ICAR, ATARI ZONE-VI addressed the gathering and assured the agitators to bringing amicable solutions for KVK issues following which KEWA partially suspended the protest programme till May 18 but the employees of KVK would go for further for intense phase of agitation if their legitimate demands are not fulfilled in future, as reported by KEWA.

Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) are the knowledge centres for the district and light house of the rural people. They are being 100 % funded by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). At present around 731 KVKs are running across India under the administrative control of ICAR, State Agricultural Universities (SAU), State departments, NGOs etc. KVKs have been serving the farmers community since many decades with utmost sincerity and hard work and are well appreciated by the government as well as the public representatives. They have also played a vital role in promoting and implementing various schemes of the Central/ State Government and also the flagship programmes of PM. Moreover, the various agricultural technologies of AAU have spread and gained popularity among the farmers throughout Assam due to the extension service of 23 KVKs working under AAU.

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