Hailakandi: Worst Performer in Farmer Registration, Five Agriculture Officers Suspended

Five Agricultural Development Officers (ADOs) in Hailakandi district have been placed under immediate suspension over poor progress in the Farmer Registry programme and alleged absence from field duties, hours after Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika said they would initially be served show-cause notices and given 36 hours to respond.

The five officers are Akashdeep Karigapsa of Hailakandi Circle, Rajibul Hoque Mullah of Lala (HQ) Circle, Madhurjya Hazarika of Boalipar Circle, Aditya Bezbaruah of Katlichara Circle and Priyanku Mazumder of Lala Bazar Circle.

All five suspension notifications were issued by the Assam Agriculture Department on October 29, 2026 under Rule 6(1) of the Assam Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1964, pending departmental proceedings.

The development followed a review meeting at the Hailakandi Agriculture Department on Thursday evening, where the Agriculture Minister reviewed the progress of the Farmer Registry programme. Speaking after the review, he said the five ADOs had failed to fulfil their primary responsibility of working in the field.

According to the Minister, ADOs are expected to spend at least three to four hours in the field every day. However, when questioned during the review, the officers reportedly admitted that they had not visited the field on the previous two days.

The Minister said the lack of field activity had affected farmer registration in the district. He revealed that only eight farmers were registered in Hailakandi on Wednesday, while the figure was just 12 on Tuesday, making the district the worst performer in Assam in terms of recent registrations.

However, the Minister had initially indicated that the officers would not be suspended immediately. He said show-cause notices would be issued that night, giving them 36 hours to explain their conduct. He added that failure to provide satisfactory responses within the stipulated period would lead to suspension, stressing that no compromise on work would be tolerated.

However, the five suspension orders, all bearing the same date as the Minister’s statement, indicate that the department proceeded with immediate suspension rather than the show-cause-first course publicly outlined by him.

The notifications state that the officers were found responsible for negligible progress in Farmer ID generation and wilful absence from field duties. They have been attached to the Office of the District Agriculture Officer, Hailakandi, and cannot leave their headquarters without prior permission. They are also barred from undertaking private employment or business during the suspension period.

As of Friday, 30 October, no show-cause notices had been received in connection with the matter, while all five suspension notifications had been issued.

The circumstances that led to the change from the Minister’s initial announcement of a 36-hour response period to immediate suspension remain unclear. The department has not yet publicly explained the decision to proceed directly with suspension.