Questions Over Natural Farming Training: Administrative and Financial Issues Emerge Over MP Agriculture Department Officials' Selection

Concerns Over Natural Farming Training Plan

The Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Department's plan to train officials in Bengaluru on natural farming has sparked administrative and financial questions. The selection process for the officials, their current responsibilities, and their proximity to retirement are all under scrutiny.

The three-day residential training, scheduled in batches from September 16 to the first fortnight of November, aims to impart knowledge of natural farming, including sessions on yoga and meditation. The training is being organized by the Shri Anna Institute of Agriculture Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru. Initially planned for 75 officials, the number was later reduced to 58, comprising officers from the level of Additional Director to State Coordinator.

Selection of Near-Retirement Officials Raises Concerns

Concerns have been raised over the inclusion of officials nearing retirement in the training list. For instance, Assistant Director Savitri Srivastava, in the September 16-18 batch, is set to retire on September 30. Similarly, Additional Director G.P. Prajapati, who handles Chief Minister's Monitor-related work and is in the September 25-27 batch, retires on December 31.

This raises questions about the duration for which the department can utilize the training knowledge gained by these officials, given their limited remaining service periods of mere weeks or months. While it can be argued that nearing retirement doesn't necessitate exclusion from training, their significant administrative experience could be valuable for policy-level implementation of the acquired knowledge, provided their post-training roles are clarified.

Inclusion of Officials with Diverse Responsibilities

The training list also includes officials whose current duties are not directly linked to the grassroots implementation of natural farming. For example, D.L. Kori, Head of Office at the Directorate, handles establishment matters. Deputy Director Dr. Manisha Jaiswal is involved in budget and planning, while Assistant Director F.L. Ivne deals with departmental inquiries, and Dushyant Kumar Dhakad handles legal matters.

This situation creates ambiguity regarding the criteria for selecting officials for the training. The department needs to clarify the primary selection criterion: was the priority for officials involved in agricultural technical work, or was the aim to familiarize senior officials with natural farming policies and administrative frameworks? The selection process should align with the objective, whether it's policy formulation or farmer outreach.

Government Expenditure and Training Utility

Questions are also being raised about the government expenditure for this training. The cost for a single AC room in Bengaluru is reportedly around ₹30,000 per day, a double room ₹25,000, and shared accommodation ₹15,000 per day. This excludes travel, daily allowances, and other miscellaneous expenses for the officials.

A clear breakdown of the total government expenditure is necessary for public transparency regarding this investment. The success of government-funded training cannot be solely measured by completion; its effectiveness in departmental work is paramount. If trained officials can prepare master trainers, organize farmer training, develop demonstration plots, and monitor schemes in their districts, the training's long-term impact will be ensured.

Role of Senior Officials at Policy Level

There might be a distinct administrative rationale for training senior officials. They have the potential to influence departmental policies, budget allocation, plan formulation, and monitoring. If they understand natural farming techniques, their economic benefits, and administrative aspects, they can play a crucial role in shaping future action plans for the department and provide better guidance to subordinates.

Another potential arrangement could be 'post-retirement consultancy', where expert officials are engaged as advisors or trainers after retirement. If such future roles are proposed for the trained officials, it could significantly enhance the training's utility, although a clear government decision or order would be mandatory for such an arrangement.

Need for Clarity

According to the Agriculture Department's Director, Umashankar Bhargav, officials from both headquarters and districts are included in the training, and there is sufficient time before the retirement of the concerned officials. However, some dates in the training list appear close to retirement. Therefore, the department must clarify the dates mentioned in the list and the actual service status of the officials to resolve any confusion.

The central question is not whether an official is senior or nearing retirement, but rather the actual objective of the training and how the acquired knowledge will be institutionalized. If clear responsibilities are defined post-training, and officials effectively disseminate their experience and training to other staff and farmers, benefits can be realized despite limited service duration. Conversely, if selection lacks transparent criteria, grassroots officials are overlooked, and no concrete post-training action plan exists, questions about the utility of government expenditure are natural.

The department is expected to provide immediate clarity on three key points: the criteria for selecting officials, the proposed or actual government expenditure per official, and the responsibilities related to natural farming that will be assigned to officials post-training. The actual service duration of officials identified as nearing retirement should also be clarified.

The ultimate goal of natural farming is to deliver practical knowledge to farmers. Therefore, the success of the three-day training in Bengaluru should be measured not by the number of training certificates, but by how much practical knowledge reaches farmers upon their return and its lasting positive impact on Madhya Pradesh's agricultural system. Any government-funded training should be evaluated on this basis.