2 depts at loggerheads over staff deployment

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, February 3

The Departments of Animal Husbandry and Agriculture are at loggerheads over the registration of farmers on the e-Kharid Portal and uploading the information of crops under the Meri Fasal Mera Byora scheme.

The Agriculture Department has roped its staff, besides employees from other departments for the job.

“The Additional Deputy Commissioners (nodal officers of districts) will create team of officers drawing from the Departments of Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Marketing Board, Panchayats and other departments except the Revenue Department,” reads the December 28, 2018, letter issued by Ajit Balaji Joshi, Director, Agriculture.

But only the Animal Husbandry Department has objected to the move. Sunil Kumar Gulati, Additional Chief Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Department, had written a letter to all Deputy Commissioners on January 28, instructing them not to deploy animal husbandry staff for the agriculture survey.

“The livestock census has started. It is not possible to spare our manpower for the agriculture survey. Our work cannot suffer… since the livestock census happens only once in five years,” reads the letter.

Notably, the two departments are headed by one minister, OP Dhankar.

Gulati told The Tribune, “For the first time, the livestock census is being conducted digitally using tablets. It will save time and resources.”

The tussle 

• The Agriculture Department has roped in employees from other departments such as horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries, marketing board and panchayats for registering farmers on the e-Kharid Portal
• Only Animal Husbandry Department has objected to this. It has written to all Deputy Commissioners, instructing them not to deploy animal husbandry staff for the job