JAMMU, June 18: PDD Engineers lodge strong protest over Govt. indifference on Regularization and diversion of posts, observe protest leave Thousands of Engineers of PDD under the banner of Jammu & Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) after serving 21 days notice to Government on 26-05-2025 to resolve its genuine demand of Regularization of all engineers of JKPDD as per the SAC decision of 2019 and Arbitrary diversion of 25 AE & 25 AEE posts to JKSPDC vide Government Order No : 73 of 2025, Dt: 20-05-2025 thus diluting SO- 927 of 2019 & SO-134 of 2020 , today observed one day mass protest leave across J&K after witnessing no tangible progress in the matter.
It staged a massive day long protest here at Glandi Narwal Complex and Bemina Complex PDD in Jammu/ Srinagar Respectively wherein senior Engineers right from Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers, Executive Engineers, AEEs up to Junior Engineers were on one day mass protest leave against the administrative apathy on the issue of Regularisation and diversion of promotion cadre Posts of PDD to PDC. The various Unions of Non Gazetted Technical and clerical cadres had extended support to the call of JKEEGA.
Er Sachin Tickoo General Secretary JKEEGA while addressing the Protesting Engineers in Jammu and Peerzada Hidayatullah , president in Srinagar expressed strong resentment with the Government for not having been able to regularise even one Engineer of PDD in the previous four years , despite the fact that to address this chronic issue in Power Development Department the State Administrative Council in its meeting held on 22.10.2019 had directed the proposal for regular promotions of the Power development department be processed on fast-track at the departmental level without referring to Public Service commission as one- time exemption and whole process was supposed to be completed within 02 months by 30.11.2019 (GO No. 191-PDD of 2019 dated 23.10.2019) with an aim of settle this issue in PDD once for all.
The protesting Chief Engineers/Superintending Engineers while speaking at the venue described the absolute apathy faced by them as they are superannuating in the grades of Assistant Engineers or even Junior Engineers which speaks volumes about the total indifference and humiliating treatment to the services rendered by them spreading over decades culminating in reduced pension benefits. Protesting members informed that post holding a protest by power engineers under the banner of JKEEGA during the month of Jan-2025 regarding non regularization of PDD Engineers, the Establishment Committee on 20 th Jan held a much awaited meeting of Regularization of Engineers and cleared the proposal ,bringing the much needed respite but little did the power Engineers across the UT know that this is shortlived and step motherly treatment shall continue . Despite lapse of more than 04 months ,the MoM of said meeting has not been issued and circulated thus raising doubts on the intentions of Government.
It was briefed that all democratic means viz-a-viz Calling upon Hon’ble Chief Minister, Worthy J&K Electrical Engineering Graduates Association Email Id: jkeegajmu@gmail.com Constituent of All India Power Engineers Federation And Northern India Power Engineers Federation JAMMU Regd. & Recognised Vide Govt. Order No. 3042-GD of 69 Dated : 02-09-1969 & Order No. 3908-GD of 72 Dated : 25-11-1972 Chief Secretary and other officers were exercised,but all in vain . Further it was briefed that unnecessary queries post holding meeting of Establishment committee are being raised by one of the committee member thus delaying issuance of MoM and subsequent regularization of engineers who are waiting for due right of regularization since 2019 after SAC approved same. The General council in one voice condemned this two yard stick approach viza viz Power Engineers and other services Further JKEEGA members lamented the Arbitrary diversion of 25 AE & 25 AEE Posts from JKPDD to JKSPDC in a hastily manner to benefit JKSPDC engineers at the cost of JKPDD engineers was briefed and it was given to understand that post unbundling of Power Development Department into various Corporations, SO 927 of 2019 & SO-134 of 2020 incorporating the overall cadre strength of PDD including leave reserve and deputation reserve posts were issued by Government of J&K. In this backdrop the issuance of the Govt. order No: 73-JKPDD of 2025, Dt: 20.05.25 order by Administrative department allowing utilization of 25 posts at AEE and 25 at AE level for promoting JKPDC Cadre without any rationale and in violation to all rules and norms thus altering the very basic nature of SO927of 2019&SO 134, Dated: 23.04.20 which was basis of Cadre Strength of JKPDD approved by SAC.
Besides this there are presently Managing Director- 02, Executive Director-04, CE-09, SE- 19, XEN-72, AEE-148, JE-436 vacancies against the overall sanctioned strength of the department. The situation is alarming given the fact that nearly 60 percent positions of Executive Engineers are vacant, leaving important Divisions on additional charge basis, even sub divisions are being manned on additional charge basis. JKEEGA has been strongly pursuing that the vacant positions right at the top of the hierarchy including Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers ,Executive Engineers are being manned on additional charge basis, clearly affecting the delivery of quality services to the public at large, whereas in sister engineering departments, to meet functional requirements, Relaxation in rules with respect to qualifying service for higher positions has been granted , whereas in PDD no such efforts are being made by administrative department.
The members lamented the fact that despite having given 21 days notice dated 25 th May 2025, to sensitise the Government and seek resolution of this long standing issue , the administration has failed to give tangible progress vis a vis the issuance of the establishment committee minutes of meeting and also has not corrected the irrational Govt. order no 73-JKPDD of 2025 on arbitrary diversion of posts from PDD to PDC. Having exhausted all diplomatic means, JKEEGA had to resort to implement the decision of observing mass one day token protest leave in order to press their legitimate rights.
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