Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 20: All graduate electrical engineers observed mass casual leave and held protest to get their genuine demands redressed.
Large number of graduate electrical engineers assembled in the premises of Galdni, PDD Complex, Narwal under the banner of J&K Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) and raised slogans in favour of their long pending demands.
While speaking, the speakers said that the Government has failed to redress their genuine demands despite repeated requests.
They said that the JKPDD is proving and maintaining the electric supply from generation and transmission through extra high voltage level up to the door step of the consumers. The power engineers are working round the clock despite heavy odds to provide and maintain the same. It is astonishing that they are working in the same pay and grade where they joined the services. The assured career progression by way of running pay grade has been denied to them though it is applicable in other services of the state viz medical, dental, higher education, veterinary and other administrative services. Except J&K, all the electrical engineering service throughout the country are reaping the benefits of running grade, but the same is not implemented in J&K despite the proposal stands submitted and approved, they added.
The protesters said that the mockery and complete failure of the administration can be gauged from the fact that thought the electrical engineers are working at the post of Development Commissioner Power, Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers or Executive Engineers but are in the grade of Assistant Executive Engineers or Assistant Engineers and even some are junior engineers. The promotions are made as incharge, adhoc and stop gap basis but none has been regularized through PSC/DPC and remains incharge till superannuation, they said, adding that the authorities have ignored the judgment of Apex Court where the Court has clarified that these adhoc or incharge promotions should automatically quash after six months of not regularized through PSC/DPC. If implemented, the entire JKPDD will have no officers above the rank of AEE, they stated.
The protesters demanded extension of Assured Carrier Progression (ACP) by way of giving running pay grade to the State electrical engineers, regularization of engineers at various cadres and timely promotion against clear vacancies.
Meanwhile, Provincial Power Employees Union held a meeting at Trikuta Nagar revenue centre under the chairmanship of Sanjeev Bali, Shakti Gupta, President and Ajaz Kazmi, General Secretary of the Union. During the demonstration, the protestors extended full support to JKEEGA. Among others present were Ram Lal, Raju, Ravi Sharma, Sukh Dev Singh, Amarjeet Singh and Jagdesh.
Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduate Association (JKEEGA) went on one day mass casual leave in protest against non-redressal of their long pending demands and expressed concern over the careless approach of the Government towards genuine demands of the engineers of Power Development Department in Poonch.
The protestors were addressed by Er Jahangeer Ahmed, Er Mohammad Fazal, Er Sarfaraz Ahmed, Er Shuja Ali Mir, Er Jagmeet Singh and Er Zaheer Ahmed and other members of JKEEGA district Poonch.
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