Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: The Civil, Electrical, Mechanical and other cadre of engineers are feeling cheated after the Government announced implementation of 7th Pay Commission report without resolution of their long pending issue of time bound running grade/ assured career progression and declared to go on state wide strike on May 2, 2018.
Addressing joint press conference at Press Club here today, All J&K Graduate Engineers Association Civil (GEASSOC), president Gandeep Pargal; Electrical Engineers (Graduates) Association, president Harvinder Singh and representatives of Mechanical Engineers (Graduates) Association- Deepak Gupta and Mohinder Manhas expressed strong resentment over the criminal silence of the State Government over the agreed issues of the engineers. They alleged that PDP-BJP Government has taken engineers as `for granted’.
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They alleged that Government has deliberately ignored the issue of releasing time bound running grades/ assured career progression scheme in favour of engineers inspite of the declaration of the same on the floor of the Assembly House during Budget speech of the Finance Minister and assurance by the Chief Minister and Works Minister Naeem Akhtar. Even the DyCM has also given the assurance for solving the issue of promotions.
They pointed out that such is the mockery of the system that even today, many Chief Engineers are made to serve in the grade of AEEs or Executive Engineers and Executive Engineers in the grade on Junior Engineers. The engineers are promoted only in their own pay and grade. They said though they welcome the step of the Govt to implement 7th Pay Commission but were shocked to know when they found that their issues have been set aside. It is shocking to note that even after serving for 30 long years, many JEs are retiring on the same post of JE. It is again mockery to provide just Rs 30 per month as TA to the engineers when cost of one litre of petrol has reached Rs 78. The Government never bothered to enhance this DA for the last about four decades.
They said the frustrated, dejected and demoralised State engineers have now, unanimously decided to take harsh steps and as first phase, resolved to observe complete strike throughout the State including Kashmir and Ladakh. It was also resolved that next course of action will be decided in the meeting on the same day if the Govt fails to take any decision about their fate. The Association leaders appealed to the State engineers to get ready for a decisive battle for justice.
Chief patron Mujib Tak, senior members – ZA Malik, Gopal K Sharma, Anil Thapa, Rajinder Raina, Nasir Ameen, Sumesh Hangloo, Ashish Bashin, Arafat Masood, Neeraj Sharma, Zia- ur- Rehman, Zulfikar Shapoo and others also accompanied.
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