Early Times Report
JAMMU, Sept 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Power Employees and Engineers Coordination Committee (JKPEECC) of the Power Development Department (PDD) has announced their unwavering support for a 24-hour protest leave called by the Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineers and Graduates Association (JKEEGA) on September 9, 2023. The protest is aimed at addressing long-standing grievances within the department, including the delay in promotions and the filling of hundreds of vacant positions.
The JKPEECC, consisting of various unions and associations within the PDD, has rallied behind the call for protest leave. The decision comes as a result of their frustration with the government's failure to fulfill commitments made nearly two years ago under a legal framework agreement.
The primary issues prompting this protest are the prolonged delay in promotions and the alarming number of unfilled positions within the PDD. Currently, there are over 750 vacancies within the engineering cadre and more than 4000 vacant posts in other roles, including key leadership positions.
Among the vacant positions are one post of Managing Director, three Executive Director positions, five Chief Engineers, 14 Superintending Engineers, 61 Executive Engineers, 132 Assistant Executive Engineers, 164 Assistant Engineers, and around 350 Junior Engineers. This shortage has resulted in an untenable situation where many individuals hold multiple responsibilities within the PDD, affecting the efficiency and effectiveness of the department.
Promotion files across all cadres have been languishing for months and are seemingly stuck between the office of the Chief Secretary and the administrative department. An illustrative example is the promotion file of Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) to Executive Engineer, which has been pending for eight months. The delay has impacted the careers of several officers, some of whom have already superannuated, and others who continue to face uncertainty.
Furthermore, despite a State Administrative Council (SAC) decision in October 2019 that sought the completion of regular promotions within two months, no progress has been made on this front, with four years having passed since that decision.
In light of these issues, JKPEECC has strongly endorsed the one-day protest leave called by JKEEGA on September 9, 2023. As part of this peaceful protest, all PDD employees will abstain from work for 24 hours, starting at midnight on September 8. The protest aims to draw attention to the government's perceived indifference to their legitimate demands for timely promotions, junior engineer recruitment, and the filling of vacant positions, including the regularization of PDL/TDL.
JKPEECC has issued an appeal to the Hon'ble Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, urging intervention and directing competent authorities to expedite the approval of promotion and regularization proposals for eligible officers before the protest date, with the hope of averting further confrontation and addressing the long-standing issues plaguing the PDD.
As September 9 approaches, the PDD employees and engineers are gearing up for this day of protest, hoping that their collective action will prompt the government to take swift and concrete measures to resolve the issues that have hampered their department's functioning for far too long. |
