J&K power development department has failed to fill 72 posts of assistant engineers (AEs) created seven years ago for removing stagnation of diploma-holder engineers apart from giving shape to hierarchy at gazetted level despite clearance from general administration department (GAD).
Official documents in possession of Greater Kashmir reveal that state cabinet had in 2011 created 227 posts of AEs by corresponding reduction of equal number of posts of junior engineer-I. Subsequently, the PDD placed 155 available JEs-I as assistant engineers but the remaining slots were not filled.
A group of annoyed engineers appointed in 1988 said 272 posts were also created in I&FC/PHE department (nodal department for implementation of cabinet decision of 2011). “Out of these, 215 posts were utilized for placement of available JE- I candidates while 57 remained vacant due to non-availability of JE-I officials. However, on account of their eligibility for placement as JE-I well before issuance of cabinet decision, senior most diploma engineers were elevated as AEs against leftover posts after getting green signal from the finance department,” as per official document.
Similarly, a source said, 72 AE posts in PDD were not utilized despite repeated assurances by the department to fill these on analogy of I&FC/PHE department. “High level deliberations between then power minister Nirmal Singh in presence of chief secretary and principal secretary PDD and as well and despite clear opinion by general administrative department emphasizing utilization of leftover posts nothing has been done.”
As per directions from then minister it was decided that 72 leftover AE posts in PDD and 29 in mechanical department shall be utilized for placing senior most diploma engineer as in charge AEs in line with procedure already adopted by other engineering departments as these AE posts were created in 2011 just to address stagnation of diploma engineers.
“While as already sought opinion of the GAD was that the Power Development Department is advised that 72 unfilled posts of Assistant Engineers shall be filled up from those candidates who were subsisting as JE Grade-I or were eligible to the said post at the time of cabinet decision. Instead of implementing the instructions and opinion of the GAD, some vested interests have managed to compel the department to resubmit the file to GAD with instructions to withdraw the already issued opinion which is against ethics and essence of career progression scheme and tantamount to adoption of two different yard sticks for utilization of similarly created AE posts in I&FC/PHE & JKPDD. The change of already issued opinion (based on ethics) will facilitate utilization of leftover AE posts in favour of other set of employees who were not even borne on PDD rolls when diploma engineers were eligible for placement as JE-I,” said a junior engineer. “The apathetic attitude towards diploma engineers of the PDD not only deprived them of huge monetary benefits which was otherwise due to 198 diploma engineers on account of their eligibility for JE-I well before issuance of cabinet decision of 2011 but also debarred their cadre of promotional benefits, rue the aggrieved engineers. It is grave injustice with us that our colleagues in other departments have been promoted way back but we have to run from pillar to post to pursue our genuine case,” said the junior engineer wishing anonymity. The engineers have sought intervention of minster of Power Sunil Sharma to get the matter resolved.