On 12th December 2018, then Chief Secretary B V R Subarmaniyam, in a jam packed press conference at SKICC Srinagar in presence of the then Governor Jammu and Kashmir had very strongly highlighted non-availability of seniority lists above Assistant Ex Engineers and depicted plight of engineering departments which have been forced to run on Incharge system basis and even sitting Chief Engineers across all engineering departments are substantively only Assistant Ex Engineers. Much water has flowed under the bridge since 2018 and even State Administrative Council in its meeting held on October 22, 2019 had directed the proposal for regular promotions in Power Development Department, to be processed on fast-track at departmental level without referring to Public Service commission as one-time exemption and whole process was supposed to be completed within 2 months i.e., by November 30, 2019 (GO No. 191-PDD of 2019 dated 23.10.2019). It took nearly four months for SAC decision to even get translated into a committee for recommending the proposals for regularization of engineers of Power Development department for placement before the establishment committee. General Administrative Department vide its order no–308-JK[GAD] of 2020, Dated- 02/03/2020 constituted a high powered committee under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary Power Development Department to examine, scrutinize and recommend the cases of the engineers of Power Development department for regularization. The committee had in its fold members of Finance department, Law department and General administration department among others. After nearly six months i.e., on 1st September 2020, when first meeting of the empowered committee to take place and examine the proposal of the department. The empowered committee under the chairmanship of Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Power Development department having completed the marathon exercise of preparing, scrutinizing, examining regularization proposals of 45 Executive Engineers and 179 Assistant Ex. Engineers as Executive Engineers /Superintending Engineers and Chief Engineers all of whom are retirees from year 2000 to 2018 were recommended to General administration department for placement before the establishment committee. The General administration department initially raised query regarding non submission of the updated vigilance clearance in respect of the incumbents of the proposal. The Power Development department took up the matter and in lieu of the Vigilance clearance provided the integrity certificate from the Head of department and counter signed by the Administrative Secretary PDD. The certificate very clearly pointed out if there was any FIR/PE or anything against the incumbents and cases of such engineers were withheld by the empowered committee before submitting to the GAD. The said procedure was adopted in the backdrop of the fact that these pertained to retired engineers who had retired as early as 2007 and some of them had expired/ settled abroad/ ill and not in a position to personally provide with their complete details as stipulated for the vigilance clearance. Since the proposals under consideration zone were only of retirees so, General administration department in terms of the State Administrative Council meeting held on October 22, 2019 giving one-time exemption to expedite the cases of regularization of Engineers of Power Development Department placed the proposals before the establishment committee on 29th July, 2021. The proposals didn’t receive the nod of the establishment committee headed by Chief Secretary with objection being raised on the exemption of vigilance clearance. The proposal which was to be completed within 2 months by November 30, 2019 as per SAC decision dated October 22, 2019 has been turned back even after nearly 2 years that too when it had only retired engineers. The pain and trauma through which the entire lot of brilliant engineers are going through who have even received Gold Medals for their excellent services towards State, are being deprived of regularization benefits and some of them died in harness awaiting for day of recognition /regularization. It is equally de-motivating for serving lot of engineers as even the Managing Directors are Assistant Engineers substantively. Unless and until backlog of the retired engineers is regularized the current lot will also gasp for regularization during their entire service. The Government if it is sincere about running the power development department as a business unit must not neglect the Human Resources who hold the key to the turnaround of the Power Sector in Jammu and Kashmir. It must take steps out of box as warranted under rules to clear the backlog of the retired engineers awaiting their regularization since 15 years. This shall go a long way to boost the morale of serving engineers who are foreseeing gloomy days ahead.
