Srinagar, Nov 1: Unemployed agriculture graduates in Jammu and Kashmir have called off their 42-day-long protest following a meeting with Agriculture Minister Javed Ahmad Dar, who assured them that their demands would be addressed.
During a meeting with a delegation of protesting graduates, the minister discussed a proposed 50:50 recruitment formula for gazetted posts, providing equal opportunities for direct recruitment and departmental candidates.
The discussions also covered the proposed merger of Agriculture Extension Assistant (AEA) and Junior Agriculture Extension Officer (JAEO) posts into a single non-gazetted cadre without reducing their existing combined strength. The proposed unified post would function at the panchayat level.
According to reports, the minister assured the delegation that further discussions would be held to resolve the pending issues.
The protesters subsequently announced the suspension of their agitation, saying the meeting had provided an opportunity for further engagement with the government. However, they maintained that they would continue to pursue their demands until concrete decisions were taken.
The graduates have been protesting against the existing recruitment framework in the Agriculture Production Department, seeking changes to recruitment rules and restoration of direct recruitment to various technical posts.
Their demands include changes to SRO-433 of 2004 and SRO-442 of 2017, which they have argued have restricted employment opportunities for agriculture graduates in the department.
The agitation had continued for 42 days, with protesters seeking government intervention to address the long-pending recruitment issues.
The delegation also acknowledged the support of SKUAST-Kashmir Vice-Chancellor and Director Agriculture Kashmir in facilitating discussions with the government.
Although the decision to suspend the protest has brought temporary relief, the proposed recruitment changes and cadre merger are yet to be formally implemented.
The graduates said they would continue to follow up with the government until their demands were translated into concrete decisions.
