By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 10 Dec: Under the chairmanship of Subodh Uniyal, a review meeting was held with senior officials in respect of the integration of the Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture as a single department. The employees of Agriculture and Horticulture Department shared with the Minister, the technical and practical problems regarding promotion pattern, salary discrepancy, salary increase, seniority etc and urged that these problems be taken care of before the integration so that there was no discrimination of any kind in future with the personnel in any class and cadre. During this, Minister Subodh Uniyal directed the constitution of a seven member committee under the chairmanship of Additional Secretary Ram Vilas Yadav regarding the integration of both the departments. He also directed that that proper cognisance be taken on all those points in the process of integration, so that after integration, a better development of the department could be achieved. The system could be made and the department could play a more effective role for the welfare of farmers and cultivators. He said that along with the welfare of farmers and cultivators, the basic priority of the department ought to be the uplift of agriculture and horticulture in the state. For this, the pattern and structure of the department be made effective accordingly. Minister Subodh Uniyal also received proposals related to the integration of union and personnel of different patterns of both the departments and taking comprehensive cognisance of all these proposals in the process of integration, he directed the officers concerned to examine them thoroughly and take prompt advance action. All the personnel thanked the Minister for listening carefully to the views of the workers and taking cognisance of the important points in the process of integration. On this occasion Agriculture Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram, Additional Secretary Agriculture Ram Vilas Yadav, Director Agriculture Gauri Shankar and other officers, associated officers and personnel of the Association were present.
