Agri sub-inspectors seek revision in salary, parity

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, December 7

Seeking a revision in their salary, sub-inspectors posted in the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department gathered at Company Bagh here on Saturday.

They said they were employed in the same pay band as of veterinary inspectors and ETT teachers till 2006. The sub-inspectors said after that they lagged far behind as their salary was not revised in the subsequent pay commission reports.

They said on the one hand the government claims to have initiated steps to bring improvement in the agriculture sector by increasing farmers’ income, while on the other, it has neglected employees of the Agriculture Department, who work at the grassroots level in villages.

Naresh Saini, state president of the Agriculture Sub-Inspectors’ Association, Punjab, said, “Agriculture sub-inspectors, veterinary inspectors and ETT teachers were in the same pay band of Rs5,910-20,200 till 2006. While we have been still working in the same pay band, the grades of veterinary inspectors and EET teachers have been revised to Rs10,300-34,800 in 2011.”

Association leaders said they had been ignored in all subsequent pay commission reports.

Gurpreet Singh, district president of the association, said, “Even government drivers are getting a better pay than us despite their less educational qualification. Agriculture sub-inspectors are wheels of agriculture extension services in the state.”

Prabhjot Singh Chahal, press secretary of the association, said, “Earlier, sub-inspectors used to be promoted as inspectors, but their promotion was done away with more than two decades ago. We demand that the promotion channel should be opened.”