JAMMU, Aug 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association [JKEEGA] of the Power Development Departmentled by Sachin Tickoo, president JKEEGA and flanked by the Executive Council members Rajeshwar Jamwal, (Sr. Vice President), Sunil Gupta, Jahangir Ahmed, Gulshan Bhagat, (Vice president’s), Yash Paul, Vishal Singh Chib ( Provincial Secretaries), Ankush Sharma, Rohit Gupta, (OrganizingSecretaries), Ankush Gupta, Vijay Sharma, (Secretaries Media & Grievances), Purshottam Lal Sharma and Vipul Sharma-(Treasurers) today held a press conference here in Press Club Jammu on the issue of the inordinate delay in the filling up of the vacant positions across the hierarchy of the department, which has severely dented not only the morale of the officers but also badly affected the delivery of public service and grievanceredressal.
The Government has failed to fulfill commitments even after nearly two years, made under the legal framework of the agreement dated 21.12.2021 signed between representativesof the Government and the Representatives of the Power employees after 4 days of confrontation. While addressing the jam-packed media gathering, Tickoo briefed that the meeting of its apex body –Guidance Council was held at Jammu and Srinagar respectively on this issue, which among others was attended by all Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers and Executive Engineers who are members of the Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association.
The Guidance Council deliberated uponthe step-motherly treatment being faced by the Engineers of the Power Development Department as the competent authorities have been delaying the promotions despite more than 750 vacancies in the hierarchy of engineering cadre, with 01 post of Managing Director, 03 post of Executive Director, 05 Chief Engineers, 14 Superintending Engineers, 61 Executive Engineers, 132 Assistant Ex Engineers, 164 Assistant Engineers and around 350 Junior Engineers which are vacant leading to situation where every other person is having minimum two or three charge in the corporations of PDD.
It is pertinent to mention that promotion files of all cadres are languishing for months and tossed between the office of the Chief Secretary and the administrative department, the recent example being the promotion file of AEE as Executive Engineer which has been recommended for promotion by the administrative department in the month of January and is being tossed for last 8 months now and officers falling in the proposal at fag ends of their career,many of whom have superannuated, and officers down the line are also cumulatively affected adversely. He asserted that the situation is so gruesome that right from Chief Engineer to down the line up to Junior Engineer multiple charges have been assigned practically affecting the delivery of the services to the end consumer. Scores of vacancies of Chief Engineer and superintending Engineers, and with more than 60 positions of Executive Engineers vacant, the Executive Engineers/Assistant Ex. Engineers are being overburdened by additional charges with each Executive Engineer holding the charge of two to three Divisions spanning across various Districts.
It is pertinent to mention that the situation is such that Executive Engineer TLMD-IV Jammu is also having charge of TLMD-III Udhampur having jurisdiction up to Kishtwar on one side and up to Kishenpur on the other side, seriously affecting the progress of projects of prime importance. Similarly, the Executive Engineer in Project Division Right, Srinagar has been assigned two additional charges of Project Division Baramulla spanning across District Baramulla & Kupwara and Project Division, Ganderbal spanning across District Ganderbal & Bandipora. The Assistant Executive Engineers also have been assigned multiple charge and Junior Engineers are manning up to 15-20 feeders on average, overburdening them to the extreme. It is pertinent to mention that regularization proposalsdespite the SAC vide decision dated 23.10.2019 which had sought that the regular promotions be completed within a period of two months, but despite the lapse of 4 years now, the fact is that the entire engineers presently working in different Power Corporations have not been granted a single regular promotion.
The Chief Engineers are working in the substantive grades of Assistant Engineers and Superintending Engineers and those below are working in the substantive grades of Junior Engineers. The in-charge placements have also been put to a complete halt thereby leading to a huge chunk of vacancies at each and every level. Accordingly, JKEEGA has issued the notice to the administration after the Guidance Council of JKEEGA of both Jammu & Kashmir regions in a meeting held on 24.8.2023 have resolved that All the Engineers of J&K Power Development Department shall submit one-day protest leave to the Government for 9th Sept 2023 and shall assemble at PDD complex Gladni Jammu and Bemina, Srinagar on 9th Sept 2023 to register one-day peaceful protest and abstain from work for 24 hours against non-seriousness of the Government towards their legitimate demands of Regularization, Timely Promotions,Recruitment at Junior Engineer level and non-filling of hundreds of vacant positions. Further, all the Engineers of the J&K Power Development Department having assigned additional charges by the Government shall submit a joint memorandum to the Government through JKEEGA requesting to relieve them of the additional charges for the effective functioning of the Department/Power Corporations.
The various other associations of PDD namely the Diploma Engineers Association, Provincial Power employee’s union, Lineman and Workers Union, Technical Employees Federation, PDL/TDL,and other workers Union have rendered unconditional support to the call of the JKEEGA for observing complete protest for 24 hours and shall also abstain from work for 24 hours. JKEEGA appeals the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor J&K to kindly intervene and direct the competent authority to issue the approvals of the proposals recommended for promotion and regularization of the eligible officers before the said date so that the decision of the Guidance Council can be reviewed and confrontation shall be avoided.
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