Jammu: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president and Rajya Sabha MP Sat Sharma on Tuesday assured a delegation of Agriculture Extension Assistants (AEAs) that their demands for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and merger with Junior Agriculture Extension Officers (JAEOs) would be taken up with the appropriate authorities.
The delegation, which met Sharma in the presence of BJP MLA Dr Devinder Kumar Manyal, submitted a representation highlighting long-pending grievances related to service conditions, career progression and retirement benefits.
The employees sought the extension of OPS benefits to those appointed under the Rehbar-e-Ziraat scheme and the merger of AEAs with JAEOs.
Sharma said the concerns of government employees regarding service conditions and retirement security deserved consideration and timely resolution. He said the demand for pension benefits would require examination within the applicable policy and legal framework.
On the proposed merger, he said the demand should be assessed objectively, taking into account service rules, administrative requirements and career prospects. He added that longstanding service-related issues should not remain unresolved indefinitely.
Sharma assured the delegation that its representation would be forwarded to the concerned authorities for examination and consideration.
He also highlighted the role of Agriculture Extension Assistants in providing technical guidance to farmers, promoting modern farming practices and improving agricultural productivity.
Manyal supported the need for a constructive approach to resolving the employees’ grievances and acknowledged their contribution to the agricultural sector.
