Ranchi: Contractual employees of Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) under the banner of Jharkhand ATMA Staff Association on Monday launched an indefinite agitation in front of Raj Bhavan demanding regularisation of jobs and benefits on a par with government employees.

The agency, which has 740 contractual staff, functions under the state agriculture department. The workers are broadly involved in various schemes such as Soil Health Card, Pradhan Mantri Bima Fasal Yojana, Targeting Rice Fallow Area, National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture, National Food Security Mission, Kisan credit card, seeds exchange, agricultural workshops and group discussions among farmers.

Seven years ago, they were hired by the government as block technical managers and assistant technical managers on a monthly salary of Rs 29,000 and Rs 16,000, respectively.

"We are qualified people with graduate and postgraduate degrees in agriculture and allied subjects. We were appointed on the basis of our academic qualification and experience. But we are paid pittance despite playing a major role in agricultural revolution targeting 25 lakh farmers. From today we are on indefinite strike," said state president of the outfit, Moti Lal Rajak.

Members of the association claimed that they had submitted a list of their demands to the government many times.

"But the government ignored our plea. There are 3,800 posts lying vacant under various heads like farm manager, block agriculture officer, block cooperative officer, village level worker, block welfare officer and others. The government can accommodate us in these posts," said Rajan Mishra, an agency worker.

They claimed that Bihar and Madhya Pradesh governments have absorbed and regularised such agricultural workers.