Toil up to go top, Sonowal on agriculture

Appointment letters to 122 irrigation engineers

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Dec 8: State Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal has got his point across that hopping up to top in agricultural production will elude stakeholders in the department if they do not work in sync with one another.

“To make Assam one of the top states in the country in agriculture, both Agriculture and Irrigation departments must work hand in hand so that the farmers of the State get motivated to work doubly hard. The new generation of engineers of the department has a crucial role to play to bring transformation to the agricultural sector in the State,” Sonowal said on Friday, while taking part in the programme for distributing appointment letters to 122 junior engineers in Irrigation Department here.

Urging the newly appointed junior engineers to prove their capabilities in the field as they have earned the opportunity to serve the department through a transparent selection process conducted by APSC, Sonowal said that they must go beyond their mandate of only providing water to the farming fields by making an effort to understand the problems faced by the farmers. The farming community must be encouraged to adopt new technology to increase productivity and thereby lead a life of dignity, he said.     

“Unless and until engineers and junior engineers strive to deliver services to the farming community by working for long hours in the field they cannot motivate the farmers to work extra hard. We must bring respect to the field of agriculture which would encourage the young generation to take agriculture as a profession,” the Chief Minister said.   

Saying that the fertile lands of the state must be utilized properly by adopting modern farming methods and by opting for double and triple cropping, Sonowal said that the farmers must be made aware about taking advantage of Prime Minister rendra Modi’s ambitious schemes like Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yoja (PMFBY) - Crop Insurance, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yoja etc. He also said that the tractors to be distributed in each of the 26,000 villages of the state under Chief Minister Samagra Gramya Unyan Yoj (CMSGUY) would bring huge positive change to the rural economy of the state and would result in increased productivity.   

Stating that only deeds and not words would bring change to the state, the Chief Minister said that the State Government is earnestly working towards realizing the tourism potential and make the state a gateway to the South East Asia by expanding the state capital region and setting up a Global Trade Centre of 65 floors twin towers. “We’ve invited ASEAN and SE Asian Countries to set up consulates in Guwahati and Bhutan and Bangladesh have already accepted the invitation for opening Assistant High Commissioner Offices in the city,” he said. 

Urging the newly appointed junior engineers to stay away from the lure of corruption, Sonowal warned all government employees that those involved in corrupt practices would have to face music and accordingly, good performers would be rewarded. Corruption prevents the schemes meant for the people from being implemented properly and that is why, the state government’s relentless campaign against corruption would continue, he said.   

Minister of Irrigation Department Ranjit Dutta said that apart from providing appointment letters to the junior engineers, the department would also fill up the vacant posts of 201 Assistant Engineers, 720 Junior Assistants, 390 Grade IV employees in the near future.     

Legal Adviser to the Chief Minister Shantanu Bharali, Principal Secretary of the Irrigation Department Hemanta rzary, Secretary of the Department Lohit Chandra Pathak, Chief Engineer Mahendra Mohan Boro were also present in the programme.