Human resources crunch hinders service delivery of Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Birgunj

Birgunj, Sept 30: Administrative works as well as public service delivery from the Agriculture Knowledge Centre in Birgunj have been adversely affected due to lack of adequate staffers at the Centre. Since the vacancies of the Centre were not filled timely as per requirement, the Centre has been unable to provide effective services to the service seekers, shared Centre’s Chief Munilal Kushbaha.

The Centre, having vacancies for a total of 15 human resources in different position and responsibilities, is functioning with only four employees including two technicians at present, informed Chief Kushbaha, adding that a driver has been recruited on a contract basis. According to him, the office was in dire need of an officer for crop conservation, planning and horticulture development. The Centre has not been able to provide agricultural counseling and other technical services to the farmers.

Farmers in some areas in Madhes Province are troubled by their diseased crops and plant. Much to the dismay of the farmers, even necessary consultations is not provided to the affected farmers for lack of human resources. However, two technicians along with the staffers at the Centre have been reaching out to the farmers in their farmland with whatever available resources to control the diseases plaguing the crops. The Centre has been repeatedly appraising the concerned provincial ministry and the Directorate of Agricultural Development regarding the lack of staffers at the Centre but to no avail, bemoaned Kushbaha.