JKEEGA seeks CM intervention as 28 out of 36 posts of SE’s are vacant
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ August 13,2025
The J&K Electrical engineers graduates Association (JKEEGA) seeks intervention of chief minister to end the adhocism at all levels in Power Development Department(PDD) from Superintending Engineers to down the line cadres as this is hampering its smooth working. The vacant posts of Superintending engineers in PDD are 28 out of sanctioned 36 posts. They have urged the chief minister to fill the vacant positions on an immediate basis to strengthen the department.
This crisis has been created due to eligibility criteria under the J&K Engineering (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules, which mandate 17 years of cumulative gazetted service and three years as Executive Engineer for promotion to SE. While all current Executive Engineers meet the 17-year service requirement, none, except five, are likely to complete three years as Executive Engineers before retirement. As a result, the promotional ladder is effectively frozen, with no eligible candidates available to fill the vacant SE posts.
President of JKEEGA, Pirzada Hidayatullah, said that recently Jal Shakti Department, which recently amended its recruitment rules in April 2025, allowing promotions to the post of SE with 15 years of gazetted service and just one year as Executive Engineer and the same criterion should also be adopted in PDD. The detailed data to the department demonstrating the gravity of the situation and requesting rule relaxation to allow promotions, as has been done in other departments, has been submitted.
Sachin Tickoo General Secretary said that JKEEGA has urged the Chief Minister to personally intervene and accord similar relaxation for J\&K PDD as done for the Jal Shakti Department. The association argues that unless the promotion criteria are modified immediately, the department will continue to operate under severe constraints for the next several years, impacting its ability to deliver reliable power and meet reform targets.
In the PDD , 874 posts out of 2450 of Engineers right from JEs to Managing Directors level are lying vacant hampering its proper functioning. One post of Chief Engineer out, 28 posts of Superintending Engineers, 59 posts of Executive Engineers 175 posts of Assistant Executive Engineers, and 166 posts of Assistant Engineers are lying vacant. Likewise, 437 posts of Junior Engineers are lying vacant.
The reduction of the qualifying period as XEN is the dire need and this would pave the way for regular promotions at all levels.
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