Protesting horticulture graduates seek jobs, revision of eligibility criteria for employment

Srinagar: The unemployed horticulture graduates and other degree holders continued their protest at the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir here on Friday demanding creation of employment avenues and revision of eligibility criteria for jobs.

Protesting for the last five days, they said the authorities had turned a deaf ear towards their concerns.

“We have been protesting for the past five days as the department has shown apathy towards the recruitment process. For about a decade, not a single post has been advertised by the department. Due to this grave negligence, most of the horticulture professionals are eagerly waiting to appear and qualify in the examination of the said department,” said a protester.

The protesters, he said, sought revision of eligibility of horticulture posts, both Gazetted and non-gazetted.

“We have already urged the government to make B.Sc. Horticulture as sole eligibility for all gazetted posts including Horticulture Development Officer, Assistant Floriculture Officer in the Department of Floriculture and non-gazetted posts like Horticulture Grading/Marketing Inspector, Senior Horticulture Technician and Horticulture technician IV) so that justice is delivered at an earliest,” said a female protester.

Pressing for creation of fresh vacancies in the department, she said the posts should be immediately advertised so that the highly-qualified degree holders who were crossing the age limit can appear in the examinations.

“The irony is that one-year diploma holders (BHT) have been kept eligible for horticulture Technician-IV posts whereas professional degree holders (B. Sc. Horticulture graduates) are treated incompetent/ineligible for the same,” she said.

In the recently advertised posts of canning instructor by JKSSB (Advertisement No. 01 of 2021, Dated:03-02-2021), degree/diploma in food processing or fruit preservation is eligibility criteria for the post however in case of horticulture Technician-IV, only diploma has been shown as eligibility in the same advertisement, the protester added.

They also demanded expedition of the process of implementation of the proposed ‘Rehbar-e-Baghbani’ scheme for engagement of horticulture professionals.