Panic in employees over spread of COVID
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 14: Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Technocrats Association (JKATA) J&K UT has appealed the Commissioner Secretary to Agriculture Production Department to postpone Kissan Pakhwada as the desirable Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are not being adopted by the farming community in these large gatherings and there is high risk of spreading COVID Pandemic in the farming community as well as employees of the department and other concerned departments.
The Association which held a telephonic conference here today to condole the sad demise of one of the officers of the Department due to COVID Pandemic said that there is panic among the employees of the Department as the SOPs are not being maintained by farmers in the large gatherings and some more employees are infected with the Pandemic.
JKATA in its appeal to commissioner Secretary Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare J&K UT while demanding the postponement of Kissan Pakhwada keeping in view the Corona Pandemic for the safety of the employees farmers and others associated with these Pakhwadas.
The telephonic meeting which was held under the leadership of JKATA president Dr. Surinder Radhotra expressed the hope that the authorities will take a positive view in this regard in the larger interests of farming community and employees.
Radhotra said the Agriculture Production and Farmers Welfare Department is working 24×7 to make Kissan Pakhwada and KCC a grand success. But unfortunately the Department has lost one of its dynamic officers performing his duty and many more are infected by COVID-19.
Moreover, Agriculture Extension Assistants (AEA’s) working at Panchayat level are more prone to get infected by COVID 19 as they are dealing with the large gatherings directly in the Panchayats and banks.
The JKATA said services of Agriculture Department comes under essential services, but there is no insurance cover for these Corona warriors ,who are working at all fronts , be at Quarantine Centers, Lakhanpur Entry Point, Railway Station, Shri Amarnath Yatra counters etc .“We have already appealed the Government earlier also on Insurance Cover of 50 lakh at par with medical fraternity and provision of Personal Protection Equipments to these Corona warriors but nothing has been done so far’’, the Association added.
Dr.Vinod Sharma Pangotra, chairman, Dr. Raju Jasrotia, Kathua, Dr. Shakeel Qazi, Doda, Dr.Anil Gupta, Udhampur, Dr.Ishraat Wani, Dr. Ishraat Rathore, Kisthwar, Dr. Anniz Sohail, Poonch, Dr. Vishal Mankoita, Dr. Deepak Sharma, Samba, Prakash Vir Singh, Amit Gupta, Charanjit Singh, Davinder Singh, Dr.Ajay Chowdhary, Dr.Avtar Singh Charak, Dr. Sarbjit Singh, Dr. Surinder Sharma and others held a telephonic call with JKATA president, Dr. Surinder Radotra on this issue and stressed on immediate postponement of Kissan Pakhwada.
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