Collector issues ‘charge memos’ to Agriculture Department staff

Thanjavur District Collector B. Priyanka Pankajam has ordered issuance of ‘charge memos’ to the government employees in the Agriculture and Agriculture Engineering departments in Thanjavur district.

It all began with a farmer from Papanasam taluk, Mohammed Ibrahim, while participating in the monthly agriculture grievance meeting chaired by the Collector on January 29 at the Collectorate, requested her to clear a file pending with her relating to setting up of Agriculture Extension Centre at Ganapathi Agraharam in Papanasam taluk.

When Ms. Priyanka sought more details, Mr. Ibrahim approached the Agriculture Department to know the progress on the proposal. He was told that the file relating to the setting up of the Centre was pending with the Collector.

Visibly upset with his reply, the Collector sought an explanation from the Joint Director (Agriculture), Vidya, and the Personal Assistant to Collector (Agriculture), Samuel, about the proposal, stating that there was no such file pending with her.

While the officials were unable to give a proper reply, another farmer got up and told the Collector that samba harvest had been hit due to non-availability of harvester machines in adequate numbers with the Agriculture Engineering Department though necessary instructions had been issued to the officials to ensure their availability, at the recently held tripartite meeting.

Annoyed by the complaint, the Collector sought an explanation from Sivaprakasam, Executive Engineer, AED, who said that there was a shortage of harvester machines to be given on rent to farmers through the department in the district. Only seven machines were available and steps had been taken to source seven more from other districts.

Following this, the Collector ordered issuance of ‘charge memos’ to the employees concerned for giving false information and for not acting on the instructions issued at the tripartite meeting.