Sale of fake fertiliser across the country
Agriculture Ministry suffers officer shortage frustrating agro promotion
Staff Correspondent
A section of unscrupulous vendors are selling sham fertilisers across the country causing a risk of affecting agricultural production heavily.
Although Awami League government is committed to increase agricultural production to control price hike but its plans are suffering from lack of implementation due to a scarcity of personnel.
The Agriculture Ministry said there are no officers at many key posts under the ministry obstructing monitoring of smooth fertiliser distribution and electricity supply to farmers at all grass-roots level.
Many officers have got promotion creating vacancy in their previous posts and many have gone abroad for training imposing multiplicity of workloads on limited number of officers.
Iqbal Khan Chowdhury and Monoj Kumar Roy have been promoted from deputy secretary to joint secretary but their previous positions have not been filled up yet. Dr Mustafuzur Rahman has been promoted from senior assistant chief (planning) to deputy chief (planning) creating vacancy in his previous post. Assistant Secretary Wabaidul has gone on LPR without being replaced by anyone.
Deputy Secretary Pros-hanto Kumar Chak-rabarti Zahiruddin has been transferred to a project of World Bank. As he was released on February 29, DS Zahiruddin was discharging duties of Proshanto Kumar with regard to monitoring of fertiliser distribution among farmers. Recently DS Zahiruddin has gone to Denmark for training and DS Mahbuba Moskur is in charge of Zahiruddin in addition to her own duties.
An employee wishing anonymity said “In the midst of officer shortage many irregularities and corruptions in agricultural sector are going on including non-availability of electricity, fertiliser and diesel. Besides fake fertilisers are also being sold. Recently, fake fertiliser sale by a vendor at 14 Bazargaon UP under sadar upazila of Thakurgaon has been detected. Although Agriculture Ministry has ordered local authority to take action against the accused businessman but local authority has not taken any step yet. Manpower shortage in the concerned ministry is contributing to these mismanagements.”
Courtesy of www.thebangladeshtoday.com
