Srinagar, Mar 3: In violation of norms, the Roads and Building Department has decided to promote diploma holders who have worked as juniors engineers in its Mechanical Division Department against 68 posts of Assistant Engineers.
 The degree holder junior engineers however cry foul saying that they were appointed in 2007 vide order 79 PW (R&B) of 2007 and were due for the promotion on March 7, 2010.
 They say presently there are 57 degree holder junior engineers eligible for 68 posts of Assistant Engineers, but the Government was allegedly interested in promoting diploma holders in violation of the rules.
 They argue that in the department, diploma holders were holding posts 102 posts of Assistant Engineers, though their actual quota was only 32. The eligibility for promotion for degree holder junior engineers is three years.
 Previously the government on April 13, 2006 issued order promoting 51 diploma holders.  Subsequently, the Government in December 24, 2006 issued another order promoting diploma holders in the category of JE degree holders.
 The December 24, 2006 order says that “In the public interest sanction is accorded to temporary placement of 45 JEs (Mechanical) as in charge AEs … on their own pay and grade.”
 The Commissioner Secretary Roads and Building Department Mehboob Iqbal says the decision has been taken on “humanitarian grounds.” He said the diploma holders have not been promoted since 1988. He said after 22-years they qualified for the promotion in November 2009 while as the degree holders are due for promotion on March 7, 2010. “On humanitarian grounds we have decided to promote diploma holders. Besides, they were due for promotion in November 2009 so their claim for promotion carries more weight,” he said. He said 35 posts had been kept for degree holders also. He said it was last chance for the diploma holders to get promotion. He however said in the Civil Engineering the most of the Diploma holder posts had been occupied by the Degree holders on promotion. “They should also look at that aspect as well,” Iqbal said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 3 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 3 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 4 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST