Most Hon ble Prime Minister of India

Greetings on the eve of Independence Day

We the staff members working in the KVKs and All India Coordinated Research Project in India are grateful to our Hon'ble Prime Minister for his continuous support in strengthening the front line extension system in the country. Your efforts like Natural Farming, Kisan Sarathi, PradhaanMantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, PM Kisan Maan dhan yojana, Paramparagath Krishi Vikas Yojana, Soil Health card Scheme, Formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and e-NAAM to doubling the farmers income were highly appreciable.    

We, the staff of KVKS and AICRP are writing to draw your kind attention regarding various issues that has been causing a sense of frustrations and disparity among the staff members working in Krishi Vigyan Kendra for your kind perusal and necessary action please. The salient issues were as under that 

732 Krishi Vigyan Kendras across the country functioning under different host organizations like ICAR, SAU, CAUs, State Govts., NGOs etc. are working on par with the ICAR KVKs with uniform mandate. 

ICAR also recognized the services and performance of KVKs under other host organization and given many Zonal and National Awards to them.

To improve the performance of KVKs, the Govt of India formed a High power committee on KVKs under the chairmanship of Dr R S Paroda, former Director General of ICAR.  This committee has given clear cut recommendations to improve the performance of KVKs under different host organizations and clearly recommended to remove the discrimination between ICAR KVKs and other host organization KVKs for effective functioning of KVK mechanism in the country.

There is a need for the Governments' approval and ICAR notification for extending uniformly UGC packages to all SMS of the country with Scientist designation instead of creating irrational classification among SMSs of the country vide ICAR notifications issued on 24-02-2020 & 09-03-2021. 

Training Associates/SMSs are duly recognized as Assistant Professor/Scientist/Class-I/Specialist vide ICAR letter/circular/order issued on 15-11-1976,23-07-1996,29-05-2006 and 06-09-2018 and are deemed to be appointed as Specialist from the date of their joining in the KVK. 

The Programme Assistants of the ICAR run KVKs were appointed in T-3 grade with grade pay of Rs 2800 whereas the sanctioned post is in T-4 with grade pay of Rs 4200 in all KVKs of the country. To ensure parity in all KVKs, ICAR has directed the institute to put all Programme Assistants to the grade of T-4 from the date of their appointment in KVK following the principle of equal pay for equal work on the basis of Hon'ble courts direction and representations vide ICAR order F.NoTS19(8)/2020-Estt.IV dtd 25-08-2021. 

Hon'ble High Court of Allahabad through its verdict on Writ Petition No.1180(SB) of 2009 has directed University Authority and ICAR to treat all Training Associates (SMSs) working in NGO and SAUs run KVKs at par for the placement in the UGC scale as selection grade scientist counting the past service in the NGO run KVK in view of the similar nature of job and KVK being funded by ICAR for salary and establishment. Accordingly, the order was withdrawn to comply with the direction of the Hon'ble High Court. 

The same logic/principle/criteria followed in the above case may kindly be adopted in the SMS case for extending the UGC pay scale uniformly irrespective of the host institute from the date of joining in KVK by modifying the orders issued on 24-02-2020 and 09-03-2021 which extend UGC pay scale with CAS only to the SMS appointed before 29-03-2011. 

As a result of irrational classification, two distinct group of SMS in two different Grade Pay (RGP Rs 6000 and GP Rs 5400) are formed/created having  same qualification, mode of recruitment, functions, duties and responsibilities in the same KVK with huge different service benefits under the same appointing authority.

This huge disparity in salary working in the same post like our counterparts appointed before 29-3-2011 is putting us in a state of frustration and we feel immensely deprived of our legitimate entitlement of the same RGP of Rs 6000 as applicable to those appointed before 29-3-2011. Which is wholly unfair, unjust and irrational. The said classification is discriminatory and is not founded on any intelligible differential having, Nexus with the object sought to be achieved and this falls foul of Article 14,16 and 39(d) of the constitution.

​In spite of repeated instructions from ICAR, some host institutions like , Government of Tripura has fixed the pay scale of SMS according to the state government pay matrix which is below the recommended pay matrix of ICAR for SMS of KVK. 

Recently the University Authorities of RPCAU has transferred 23 Scientist (SMS) designating as Assistant Professor-cum - Scientist to University vacant positions at the cost of KVK to avoid court cases by the other SMS for claiming UGC pay scale at KVK inspite of ICAR objection for lateral transfer of SMSs to University. (Vide O.O.No.IIEstt./01/2021/PDDUCH&F/298/RPCAU, Pusa dated 26-02-2022).

Krishi Vigyan Kendras under host organizations other than ICAR do not have similar pay structure, leave rules, approved Promotion policy, post-retirement benefits as implemented by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and amended from time to time. Thus, there is no parity in the system although all KVKs irrespective of host organizations are shouldering same responsibilities and duties.

Recently, on July,31st,2023, the Director ATARI, Zone VI has written to all heads of the host organizations vide letter no. ICAR-ATARI/Ghy/192/Adm/1920/2501 dated 31.7.2023 regaridnf stoppage of inadmissible allowances being given to the staff of KVks under jurisdiction of ATARI, Guwahati. Similarly, all other Directors ATARI of all 11 zones will issue such instructions, which we strongly oppose.

Hence, we respectfully submit that your good self must resolve all these issues after considering our humble submission as under 

1. Bringing pay parity to all categories of employees of Krishi Vigyan Kendras irrespective of host organizations.
2. Implementation of similar retirement benefits in the form of gratuity and other benefits for all Krishi Vigyan Kendra staff irrespective of host organizations.
3. Implementation of similar service condition/rules for all Krishi Vigyan Kendra staff especially in respect of age limit, leave rules, allowances, medical benefits and experience and other service requirements which will help in strengthening and attracting talent to Krishi Vigyan Kendras and provide equal opportunity to those working in Krishi Vigyan Kendras for career advancement.
4. All Subject Matter Specialists (SMS) should henceforth be re-designated uniformly as Scientist/Assistant Professor (PB-3, 15600-39100 with GP 6000 as per 6th CPC) to ensure much needed parity across teaching, research and extension positions.
5. The employee/staff positions may kindly be restructured as per recommendations of the High Power/High Level committee.
6. We feel all these can only be resolved by bringing all KVKs under one umbrella either directly under Ministry of GOI or under ICAR/separate academy /scientific body.
Sir, you are very much aware that the employees of all KVKs and staff posted in the AICRP have been performing their duties with utmost sincerity and dedication. We have strong faith on your dynamic leadership and believe that all these issues and concerns will be resolved with your kind intervention. We all shall remain indebted to you for this kind of act.

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