Srinagar, Sep 28 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that 32 officers in the Agriculture Production Department have been assigned additional charges to ensure smooth functioning of the department, with only one such officer posted in Budgam district.
The information was provided by the Agriculture Production Department in response to a question raised by Budgam MLA Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi regarding the status of Agriculture Officers, pending promotions and officers holding additional charges in the district.
According to the government reply, accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), all posts in the J&K Agriculture (Gazetted) Service are Union Territory-level posts, and their data is not maintained district-wise. It also stated that no Non-Gazetted Officer is presently posted as Director in the Agriculture Department.
Regarding promotions, the department said meetings of the Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) could not be convened regularly due to pending litigation filed by some members of the service before the Hon’ble Supreme Court/Central Administrative Tribunal.
The government said that, in order to ensure smooth functioning of the department, eligible officers have been placed or assigned to look after higher posts from their respective feeding services, subject to clearance by the DPC/J&K Public Service Commission.
The government further said that the proposal regarding extension of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) mechanism to members of the J&K Agriculture (Gazetted) Service has not been finalised yet.
On officers holding additional charge, the government said 32 officers have been assigned additional responsibilities. Out of these, only one officer in Budgam has been given an additional charge—the SMS-DL, Budgam, who has been assigned the additional charge of Assistant Soil Conservation Officer, Budgam, since December 3, 2025.
The department also clarified that there is no sanctioned post of Administrative Officer in the cadre strength of J&K Agriculture (Gazetted) Service for District Budgam. However, all Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) in the district are working on a full-time basis.
The government said vacancies arising due to retirement or transfer would be filled “in due course of time.”—(KNO)