Agri varsity students assn discuss demands with Kataria

Leaders of the Punjab Agricultural Students Association met the Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, under the facilitation of the university authorities. The Vice-Chancellor, Dean of the College of Agriculture, and Student Welfare Officer were also present during the meeting.

Students briefed the Governor about their key demands—filling vacant posts in the Agriculture Department and making agriculture a compulsory subject at the school level. The Governor assured the students that he would discuss the matter with the Chief Minister tomorrow.

During the discussion, the Vice-Chancellor also expressed that he had studied agriculture as a subject in school and strongly supported the idea of reintroducing it at the school level, calling it ‘essential for the future of Punjab’s farming sector’.

Meanwhile, the sit-in protest by the Punjab Agricultural Students Association entered its 17th consecutive day on Friday. The student leaders stated that while the government often talked about promoting agriculture, it had failed to fill thousands of vacant posts in the department.

According to the association, the current vacancy status was alarming: Agriculture Development Officers at 40 per cent, Agriculture Sub-Inspectors 43 per cent, Market Committee Secretaries 91 per cent, Horticulture Development Officers 61 per cent, District Marketing Officers 78 per cent and Soil Conservation Officers at 57 per cent.

The association demanded that the recruitment of agriculture masters in schools be resumed, vacant posts in the Agriculture Department be filled immediately and agriculture be made a compulsory subject at the school level.