Agriculture officers with the Union Agriculture Ministry and members of the All India Federation of Agricultural Associations, an apex body of agricultural professionals, farmers' forums and research scholars, on Saturday demanded creation of a separate cadre of Indian Agriculture Service. The group earlier this week had held a demonstration at Jantar Mantar to highlight its demands.
“We are demanding creation of an Indian/Central Agriculture Service as recommended by various committees and commissions to bring it at par with other organised cadre services. Our country is basically an agricultural nation and more than 60 per cent population depends on agriculture and it is surprising that we don't have an organised cadre service on all-India basis or Central Service,'' said All India Federation of Agricultural Associations secretary-general J.P. Singh.
Mr. Singh lamented that “due to the indifferent attitude and bureaucratic manipulation in the past one decade, the creation of organised cadre of Central Agriculture Service (CAS) could not materialise and a proposal to that effect has been kept aside by bureaucrats as being unviable.''
The Federation has demanded that an Indian Agriculture Service at par with other services be created immediately as this had been recommended by various committees and commissions. Recommendations of the National Farmers' Commission headed by world renowned scientist Dr. M.S. Swaminathan should be implemented in its true spirit, it said.
A demand for restructuring the Ministry of Agriculture has also been raised by the Federation. It said professional persons should be appointed to head all technology missions including National Horticulture Mission, Food Security Mission, Cotton Technology Mission and Technical Mission on Oilseeds and Pulses.
