Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 16: Appointed in June this year, 137 Junior Engineers (JEs) Electrical are awaiting postings and while Government has to pay over Rs 2.2 crore to them as salaries for sitting idle.
The State Government appointed 137 JEs Electrical in Power Development Department (vide order No.. 98-PDD of 2016 dated 29-06-2016) and placed them under the disposal of Development Commissioner Power for their postings.
These Engineers said that they have been asking for their postings in various wings of the PDD for last several months but so far the officers at the helm are delaying their postings causing loss to the State exchequer as PDD is facing shortage of JEs in transmission and distribution system.
The PDD has to pay Rs 35000 per month to each of these engineers and their salary for no work till date amounts to over Rs 2.2 crore.
Besides these, 75 more JEs who were transferred from Power Development Corporation (PDC) to the PDD in September this year are also sitting idle as they are yet to be posted for unknown reasons.
The Commissioner /Secretary PDD transferred (vide order No. 161 -PDD of 2016 dated 23-09-2016) 75 JEs from PDC to PDD and equal number of JEs from PDD to PDC and placed them at the disposal of DCP PDD and Managing Director PDC respectively for further postings.
The MD PDC issued the adjustment orders (vide no. PDC/118 of 2016 dated 27-09-2016) of 75 JEs transferred from PDD to PDC 4 days after the order of Commissioner /Secretary PDD while the DCP PDD has yet to adjust 75 JEs who were transferred from PDC.
DCP Sheikh Gul Ayaz when asked about JEs awaiting transfers said that it was a general order and needed approval. He, however, said that their posting orders will be issued soon.
In the meantime, various Engineering departments including R&B (PWD) grossly violate the Cabinet decision (No 156/12 of 2010 dated 27/07/2010) on transfer and postings of Engineers.
As per the decision posting of Government employees have to be done on rotational basis and in the first month of financial year with minimum tenure of a Government employee on a particular post at least two years and maximum three years.
But sources said that some influential engineers manage transfers thrice a year while others remain at low key postings for years together in gross violation of the transfer policy.
They said there is a nexus at Administrative level as well in which the stay list is being manipulate and fudged for the benefit of the blue eyed engineers. “Even some engineers when transferred refuse to join new place of postings without any administrative action”, sources added.
As per the transfer policy, the premature transfer should be rare and in the interest of the department and it has to be issued with prior approval of Minister and the reasons for such transfers have to be recorded. Sources, however, said that premature transfers in the Engineering departments are frequent and guidelines are grossly violated.
Sources said that the Engineers including JEs and Draftsmen manage DO letters from Ministers, MLAs and MLCs to get plum postings. “We get hundreds of DOs from politicians for plum postings of Engineers and holding back others”, they said.
They said that earlier senior Engineers were being placed at the helm of affairs of working Engineering Divisions but now engineers with minimal experience are heading divisions thus marring the progress and efficiency of projects.
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