Severe Manpower Shortage Remains a Critical Challenge
By Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 11: The promise of Assured Career Progression for engineers continues to elude them, despite repeated assurances from various governments through their registered associations. Unlike other major services, engineers are still waiting for this vital progression.
Frustrated by the government’s failure to uphold its commitments made across multiple platforms, power engineers of JKPDD have announced a mass protest scheduled for December 30, 2024.
Many engineers expressed their disappointment, highlighting the fact that even Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers are retiring as Incharge and confirmed only in the positions of Assistant Engineer or Assistant Executive Engineer. They noted that the government had pledged to implement Assured Career Progression for engineers similar to what is available for Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS) and Jammu and Kashmir Police Services (JKPS). However, five years have passed and no such policy has been introduced.
“In 2019, a decision was made by the government, and the Employees Committee submitted a letter to the Establishment Committee raising pertinent queries. More than a year has elapsed with no further developments,” they stated, emphasizing the stagnation and temporary status experienced by engineers, which successive governments seem to overlook.
Additionally, a significant shortfall in manpower persists, with some positions, originally sanctioned in 1981, still unfilled, leading to several engineers being assigned multiple responsibilities.
Calling for an end to temporary appointments, engineers urged the government to expedite the recommendations from the committee established for this purpose and implement Assured Career Progression without delay; otherwise, they would be compelled to take drastic measures, for which the government would be held accountable.
Repeatedly, both individuals and engineering associations have brought the issues of Assured Career Progression and manpower shortages to the attention of various authorities, including high-level officials, but the response has largely been disappointing, limited to mere promises that never materialize.
Even high-level committees, established by respected officials like the former Chief Secretary, have either failed to deliver their reports or have been abandoned halfway, resulting in little to no tangible governmental action.
“Six years have passed since the State Administrative Council (SAC) made its decision, yet Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers, and others in lower ranks continue to retire as Assistant Engineers or even Junior Engineers, missing out on deserved benefits and suffering significant losses in pension entitlements,” lamented the discontented engineers.
They expressed regret that the Empowered Committee formed over the last two years has not even addressed the concerns raised by the Establishment Committee regarding the proposal for just 250 Engineers who joined the department as Junior Engineers and Assistant Engineers from 1986 to 2001, despite the repeated requests for swift processing by the Chief Secretary.
“The pain and distress faced by these talented engineers, many of whom have received Gold Medals for their exceptional contributions to Jammu and Kashmir, is palpable as they are denied regularization benefits, with some even passing away while awaiting recognition,” they concluded.
