Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Jan 14: The Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board’s decision to invite tenders for hiring new technical experts to establish a Project Management Unit (PMU) under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban 2.0 (PMAY-U) program has raised concerns among professionals currently working on the implementation of this Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
The experts who have been working on the Housing for All (HFA) initiative under PMAY for one decade in Jammu and Kashmir allege the move sidelines them in favor of less experienced hires offering significantly higher salaries.
The experts described the move as “unjust” and in violation of Jammu and Kashmir High Court directives on continuity of technical experts. “There are High Court directions ensuring the continuity of technical experts. Why is the administration ignoring these orders?” questioned one affected professional.
The tender, issued by the Mission Director of PMAY (Urban), invites eligible firms to operationalize the State Level Technical Cell (SLTC) and City Level Technical Cell (CLTC) for a five-year period in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision affects approximately 60 technical experts, including project engineers, town planners, GIS specialists, and training coordinators, who have been instrumental in implementing PMAY’s goals of building houses for homeless and marginalized urban residents.
These professionals claim that their dedication and expertise, which earned the Union Territory the PMAY-Urban award at the “India Urban Housing Conclave 2022,” are being disregarded. “We devoted the prime years of our lives to this program, and now the department is replacing us with less experienced consultants,” said an expert.
The tender document indicates that the new hires will earn between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1.20 lakh, while the current professionals, despite having the same qualifications and responsibilities, are paid only Rs 35,000.
Experts have raised concerns about the rationale behind this salary disparity. “This should be probed. Why are inexperienced people being brought in at higher pay while trained staff is underpaid? Something is not right,” another expert said.
Experts allege that the tender process appears to be designed to benefit certain consultancy firms. “The documents seem tailored to pave the way for a favored company,” said one expert, adding that this raises questions about transparency and fairness in the process.
The experts said they submitted a representation to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, requesting the continuation of their services three months after raising apprehensions about such a move.
Managing Director of the Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, who is also the Mission Director of PMAY-Urban, Ashish Gupta, declined to provide details. “The notice is in the public domain. I have nothing to add,” he said.
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