Our Correspondent, Barisal
Eleven out of 14 posts in Barisal divisional soil testing laboratory have been remaining vacant for a long time and it has become almost inactive for working with only three persons. Md. Iftikharuddin, Scientific Officer-in-charge of the laboratory, said that higher authority regularly has been kept in touch with hampering of works due to manpower crisis.
Laboratory sources said that the laboratory was established on one acre of land with own building at Kashipur area of the city on July 2006. Examine and laboratory testing of the strength, salinity, fertility and pollution of land in 40 upazilas under six districts of Barisal division is covered by this laboratory.
Posts of seven officers and seven staffs and employees were sanctioned for the lab at that time. But since the starting, five posts i.e. the chief scientific officer, the principal scientific officer, the senior and junior scientific officers, seven posts of the computer operators, laboratory attendant, field worker, MLSS and guards yet not filled up, the sources said.
The scientific officer explained that generally 17 including nine principal and seven secondary elements effect the cultivation of food items. Any proportionate change of those elements may seriously hamper the production of crops and plants influencing the bio-diversity of the environment and investments of the farmers and planters, he added.
We could not test soil or collect samples from the field due to short man power, and we can serve the farmers if any one comes to us with sample, the lab officials said. On the other hand, after examination of the samples and its result can’t be declared officially without signature of the chief or principal scientific officer as those posts are lying vacant, sources acknowledged.
Courtesy: thebangladeshtoday.com
