Technocrats hold protests over regularisation of service in JK

Around 200 technocrats, who were appointed temporarily by the Jammu and Kashmir agricultural department, today staged demonstrations here demanding regularisation of their services.
    
Appointed temporarily under the Rehbar-e-Ziraat scheme in April 2007, the technocrats held protests in front of Press Club here this afternoon after they were denied permission to take their rally upto the divisional commissioner's office.
    
"We are forced to take this step as government officials have not taken any concrete steps for regularisation of our services," president of Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture
Technocrats Association (JKATA) Surinder Radhotra said.
    
The association's representatives had earlier met chief minister Omar Abdullah and agriculture minister Ghulam Hassan Mir, who had directed the advisor to the chief minister to expedite their regularisation as junior agricultural assistants on urgent basis from July 31 this year.     

More than three months have elapsed and the government has still not ordered the issuance of appropriate orders for regularisation, Radhotra alleged.
    
"It is surprising that the government have not issued formal orders despite the announcement of increasing monthly honorarium from Rs1500 to Rs3000 of agricultural technocrats in last assembly budget session," general secretary of JKATA, Rajiv Sharma said.
    
This apathy had forced the association and Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Technocrats United Forum (JKATUF) of Kashmir division to hold today's protest, he added.