Article Today, Hyderabad:
Promotions for Agriculture Extension Officers (AEOs) have turned into a prolonged dispute. The Graduate AEOs Association has alleged that those who entered service with a B.Sc. (Agriculture) degree are being denied their rightful promotions. According to the association, diploma holders who later completed B.Sc. Agriculture during service are being placed ahead of graduates in seniority, despite joining later.
Seniority Dispute
Current rules stipulate that a B.Sc. Agriculture degree is mandatory for promotion from AEO to Agriculture Officer (AO). In the case of diploma AEOs who complete the degree in-service, their seniority is counted from the date of initial appointment. But for graduates, it is counted only from the date of joining as AEO. This discrepancy, the association says, has pushed hundreds of graduate officers behind their junior counterparts in the promotion list. One officer who completed probation in 2020 and once topped the seniority list has now slipped to 80th place.
Financial Burden of In-service Training
The association has also raised concerns about the financial implications of in-service education. Each diploma AEO pursuing the B.Sc. Agriculture course costs the government nearly Rs. 92 lakh, including free seats worth Rs. 30 lakh, four years’ salary of about Rs. 50 lakh, and additional outsourcing costs of Rs.12 lakh. So far, the government has reportedly spent over Rs. 100 crore on such training. The association argued that despite this expenditure, the system has only created discontent among graduate recruits.
Committee Recommendations
A four-member government-appointed committee studied the matter and confirmed that graduate AEOs were facing injustice. It recommended a 5:4:1 ratio for promotions to the AO cadre. As per this, 50% of promotions would go to diploma AEOs with in-service degrees, 40% to graduate recruits, and 10% to others with eligible qualifications. The association pointed out that although the report was submitted long ago, the government has not acted upon it.
Call for Government Action
Graduate AEOs have demanded that the government issue immediate orders to implement the committee’s recommendations in the current panel year. They warned that continued inaction would jeopardise the careers of over 750 officers who have been waiting for promotions for nearly a decade. Association leader Suman said the government’s delay is pushing thousands of employees into uncertainty about their future.
