ROURKELA: While horticulture farmers of tribal-dominated Sundargarh district continue to show promising outcomes with their own personal efforts, the district seems to be falling apart in tapping into its full potential in the sector reportedly due to manpower and resource crunch.
If sources are to be believed, the Horticulture directorate under the Agriculture department owing to the dearth in staff, is allegedly lackadaisical in implementation of various schemes and extension activities.
They say the horticulture wing does not have authentic data of the total coverage area and for years, is reportedly using the assumptive data of the Agriculture department.
During a review meeting on Friday, the state authorities issued stern warning to the district horticulture officials to complete disbursement of incentives to farmers under the Crop Diversification Programme in Mega Lift Irrigation Projects (CDPMLIP), with immediate effect.
Under the project, around 8,000 hectare land was used for the cultivation of horticulture crops. However, about 40 per cent of beneficiary farmers are yet to receive incentives in this regard.
While deputy director of horticulture (DDH), Sundargarh Sukanta Naik has sought time till Monday to inform about the existing staff position, sources said unavailability of required manpower in the downstream and field levels are making things worse. Though the district should have one assistant horticulture officer (AHO) each for 17 blocks, around four posts are lying vacant.
Ironically, despite being at the top in horticulture production, Panposh sub-division with four blocks including Nuagaon, is reportedly the worst hit. Of the four AHO posts required for as many blocks of the sub-division, two are vacant. Of the two remaining posts technically filled up, the AHO of Nuagaon block is on maternity leave and hence, all the blocks are presently being looked after by one AHO.
Similarly, one of the three posts of overseer and seven of the eight posts of extension workers are vacant in the Panposh sub-division. The field situation is more or less similar in Sundargarh and Bonai sub-divisions as well. Though the DDH is the head of the Directorate in Sundargarh, the office is virtually crippled with four of the five clerical posts lying vacant.
Reliable sources said the DDH is allowed an official vehicle, while three additional directors of horticulture (ADHs) in the sub-divisions have restricted mobility affecting monitoring and field inspection.
They said number of horticulture schemes have risen manifold and enrolling farmers and addressing the varied practical problems need time and mobility.