ITANAGAR, 15 Mar: The Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA) Staff Association (APASA) on Tuesday requested the chief minister to absorb ATMA staffers into the agriculture department.
Seeking absorption of the employees, the association referred to the order issued by the administrative reforms department on 1 July, 2021 regarding the cabinet decision of 21 May, 2021, and empowered committee formed by Governor BD Mishra to examine all cases relating to absorption or regularisation of services (as a one-time measure) of those employees who are working on temporary or contractual or contingency basis in various government departments and other autonomous bodies under the government of Arunachal Pradesh.
“The ATMA functionaries, such as block technology manager (BTM), assistant technology manager (ATM) and computer programmer (CP) working under the department of agriculture are highly qualified from agriculture and allied sector, and have been working continuously at the grassroots level for socioeconomic development of farmers since 2011 and have made significant changes through effective dissemination of new farm technology to the needy farmers and achieved targets and goals of ATMA schemes. Simultaneously, we are also working for the whole agriculture extension, including other schemes running for the welfare of farmers in the state. However, the ATMA employees are being deprived of various eligible benefits and job security,” the association said.
Stating that the ATMA staffers have been serving the agriculture department for the last 11 years and are interested in serving the state further, the association sought permanent positions as their “qualifications and years of experience will serve as valuable assets for the agriculture department in particular and the state as a whole.”
