Shillong, Aug 9: Agriculture graduates staged a protest on Thursday demanding from the state government to recruit them in the agriculture department within one month.

Nearly 100 bonded students under the banner of the Meghalaya Agriculture Students & Graduates Association (MASGA) staged a sit-in protest at the State Central Library premises here.

The placards displayed by them read: “We demand immediate recruitment of all the state sponsored quota graduates who have signed the bond-cum-agreement 2004-05 onwards on seniority basis within a month” and “Is stopping the bond, a gateway to nepotism”.

MASGA president Baiarbor Nongbri told reporters that protest was taken out since the state government has failed to conduct any recruitment in the past 10 years for filling up of vacancies in the Agriculture department.

A total of 180 bonded students who have graduated from 2008 onwards were deprived of their rights to get employment in the agriculture department even after completing the four-year course.

“The state government has really neglected us despite of the fact that we have signed and adhered to the conditions of the bond-cum-agreement. Despite several requests made in the past, nothing was done,” Nongbri said.

He said that some of the students are nearly over age due to the delay to appoint them in the department.

A one-month deadline was served to the government to recruit all bonded students on based on seniority.

The bond-cum-agreement signed between the government and the students clearly stated: “…that on such completion (of the course) he/she should serve the department for a minimum period of 5 years in case their services are required by the government failing which they would forfeit the surety bond to be executed by them.”

The agitating graduates wondered how it was possible for the agriculture department not to conduct fresh recruitment though somebody in the department retired from service every year.

The graduates also met Agriculture Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh, who has assured to address the grievances within a month’s time.

The minister said that at present, there are 87 vacancies in the agriculture department.

“The agriculture department is not having enough man power, and I have called for a report so that necessary action can be taken to address the problem,” he said.

Lyngdoh informed that the execution of bond with students who pursue agriculture studies has been stopped since 2014.

“We understand their grievances, but it surprised us that in the past ten years, the past government did not do anything. The graduates should also understand that this present government is just few months old. During the previous government they could not even meet the chief minister but now they could meet the chief minister and minister to air their problems,” the Minister said.