An acute manpower shortage has severely hit day to day activities of the departments and agencies under the ministry of agriculture (MoA) across the country, official sources said. Â
They said field level offices of the departments and agencies of the ministry are still limping with manpower problem.
"The ministry, its departments and agencies are facing difficulties in performing normal official tasks mainly due to severe shortage of manpower," a high official of the MoA told the FE.
Some 8,152 approved posts of the MoA and its different agencies have long been lying vacant, according to the ministry statistics made available in September.
The data showed that some 2,146 posts of class one officials, 270 of class two officials, 3,901 of class three employees and 1,830 posts of class four employees are lying vacant.
The ministry and its departments need 41,951 approved staff members to operate efficiently. Some 33,799 staff members are now serving the ministry and its agencies, according to the data. Â
"The authorities concerned have been informed of the manpower shortage of the MoA and its agencies," the official said adding that necessary measures are being taken to fill up the required manpower.
The process of appointment to the vacant posts of the ministry and different agencies is going on smoothly and is expected to be completed soon, he said.
"Agricultural activities of the country's farmers are hit hard by severe shortage of staff in the field level offices of the departments and agencies that is also causing difficulties in managing the annual development projects/programmes," a top official told the FE Thursday.
Some 18 departments and agencies operate under the MoA which are responsible for implementation of different projects and programmes of the ministry.
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