Dhubri: Farmers across Dhubri district, who diligently cultivate a diverse range of crops including paddy, mustard, jute, maize, and wheat, are teetering on the brink of a massive agricultural crisis. Despite their tireless efforts, many allege they are being systematically deprived of the benefits of numerous ambitious government schemes, all thanks to a local agriculture department that is, by all accounts, barely functioning.
Sources within the district have laid bare a shocking truth: a staggering number of vacant positions within the Dhubri District Agriculture Department has effectively crippled its ability to provide crucial advice and support to the very backbone of the region – its farming community. While the Government of India has rolled out countless schemes for agricultural development, successfully aiding farmers in other states and even other districts within Assam, lakhs of farmers in Dhubri district claim they haven’t seen a single rupee of aid.
The epicentre of this crisis, according to those familiar with the situation, lies squarely with the Dhubri District Agriculture Department, headquartered in Dhubri town. It is reportedly failing in its most fundamental duty to assist farmers, primarily due to an acute scarcity of officers and staff. Out of a total of 256 sanctioned posts across Grade One to Grade Four in the department, a jaw-dropping 159 positions are currently lying vacant.
The most critical void is felt in the essential role of Agriculture Extension Assistant, formerly known as Gram Sevak, with a startling 91 out of 106 posts unfilled. These frontline workers are absolutely vital for direct interaction with farmers and for disseminating crucial information. The leadership structure isn’t spared either. One out of two Assistant Agriculture Director posts is vacant, and of the six Sub-Divisional Agriculture Officer positions, one remains unfilled. Similarly, one of the two Senior Agricultural Development Officer posts is vacant, and nine out of seventeen Agricultural Development Officer posts are also empty.
Adding to the woes are long-standing vacancies in key statistical roles, with both the Statistical Officer and Inspector of Statistical posts lying vacant. Even the two Sub-Inspector of Statistical posts are unfilled. Out of twelve Agriculture Inspector posts, nine are empty, and six out of thirty-four Assistant Agriculture Inspector posts are also vacant. Administrative support is equally compromised, with one Accountant post vacant and four out of five Senior Assistant posts remaining unfilled. A significant chunk of Junior Assistant posts – seven out of fourteen – are also vacant. Even among Grade Four staff, fifteen out of thirty-two positions are unoccupied. This alarming situation, where nearly two-thirds of the department’s positions are vacant, has ignited outrage among the conscious community and the common farming population in the district.
The conspicuous silence of the Assam Agriculture Department on this critical issue has drawn sharp criticism from all quarters. Despite Assam’s Agriculture Minister, Atul Bora, frequently highlighting improvements in the state’s agricultural sector, his apparent inaction in addressing the long-standing problems faced by Dhubri farmers has not gone unnoticed. While the state government has announced various facilities for farmers, particularly in areas like Char, Dhubri’s farmers remain largely deprived, often due to the agriculture department’s sheer inability to reach them because of the severe staff crunch.
There are grave fears that if the Government of Assam’s Agriculture Department does not promptly appoint officers and employees to the Dhubri District Agriculture Department office, the district’s farmers could face an extreme crisis in the coming days, jeopardizing their livelihoods and the region’s agricultural output.