Agricultural Officers Protest Job Cuts Amid Funding Crisis In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

6/28/2024 9:16:55 AM

(MENAFN- Tribal News Network) "They promised to provide jobs, but instead they did it otherwise; they left us jobless," lamented Fawad Dawar, an agricultural officer from North Waziristan, who has been part of a protest sit-in outside the provincial assembly for the past three days in the extreme heat.

In 2022, Chief Minister Mehmood Khan recruited 180 agricultural officers under the Agricultural Transformation Plan, which had a total budget of 3 billion rupees. However, only 450 million rupees were spent before the provincial government canceled the project, removed it from the Annual Development Program (ADP), and dismissed the 180 officers.

Fawad Dawar noted that half of these officers held PhDs and the other half had MPhil degrees. Many had left their previous jobs for this opportunity. He expressed frustration over the sudden termination without consultation, emphasizing that the lack of funding has jeopardized their futures: "We were promised jobs, but instead, our jobs have been taken away."

Also Read: Climate Change Threatens Plum Production in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Nadia Khan, a female agricultural officer at the protest, highlighted that 25 percent of the project's employees were women. The project was instrumental in teaching farmers modern agricultural techniques, which significantly boosted productivity. She explained, "We used to visit women's homes to educate them about agriculture. The project's termination not only affects agriculture but also the livelihoods of 180 families and their children."

Fawad Dawar called on the provincial government to heed their demands, reintegrate the ICT project into the ADP 2024-25, issue a notification for the project's extension, and renew the employee contracts.

It is noteworthy that in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa this project was initiated by Imran Khan during his tenure as Prime Minister. The recruitment of 188 Agricultural Officers aimed to educate farmers on modern agricultural technology and enhance their productivity.

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