Govt Will Resolve the Issue This Year, Says NC Chief Spokesperson
Imran Naikoo
Srinagar, 4 May, (Gulistan News) : The functioning of engineering departments in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Roads and Buildings (R&B) wing, has been severely affected by an acute shortage of engineers. This issue has led to challenges in managing developmental projects and smooth departmental operations, as overburdened officers are being assigned additional responsibilities instead of vacant positions being filled.
Several vital divisions across the Union Territory have been operating without Executive Engineers (XENs) for months. The absence of Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) has stalled administrative operations and delayed salary disbursals, critically impacting essential public utilities.
As Kashmir’s limited six-month working season has already begun, the shortage of manpower is slowing administrative processes and disrupting critical developmental activities.
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Kashmir’s working season spans only six months, making it essential for projects to progress efficiently during this time.
However, the absence of officers and the practice of assigning multiple divisions to the same individuals have significantly reduced the pace of work and affected departmental output.
On May 31, 2025, the government issued Order No. 134-JK (JSD) of 2025, assigning additional charges for vacant posts of Executive Engineers (Mechanical) in the Jal Shakti Department to jurisdictional Superintending Engineers. The Superintending Engineer, I&FC Mechanical Circle Srinagar, was given charge of the Mechanical Irrigation Divisions at Shadipora and Anantnag. Similarly, the Superintending Engineer, PHE Circle (Mechanical) South Srinagar, was tasked with the PHE Mechanical Division in Srinagar. In Jammu, the Superintending Engineer, PHE Circle (Mechanical) Urban Jammu, was made responsible for both the PHE Mechanical South and North Divisions. Meanwhile, the Superintending Engineer, PHE Circle (Mechanical) Rural Jammu, was assigned the PHE Mechanical Division in Udhampur and the PHE Mechanical Ground Water Drilling Division in Jammu.
While these assignments aim to temporarily manage operations, they have placed immense strain on departmental resources. An official noted that the government is not filling vacant posts but instead assigning additional charges, raising questions about how work can progress under such circumstances.
The R&B Mechanical wing currently has 20 out of 51 Executive Engineer posts vacant, along with 62 out of 235 Assistant Executive Engineer and 65 out of 303 Assistant Engineer posts. In the R&B Civil wing, 15 Superintending Engineer and 32 Executive Engineer posts remain unfilled. These vacancies are also affecting other critical departments like Jal Shakti, which depends on the mechanical engineers from the R&B department.
The Jammu and Kashmir Mechanical Engineering Graduates Association (JKMEGA) has expressed grave concerns over the acute personnel shortage in the mechanical engineering cadre. The association has urged the administration to expedite promotions, refer vacant Junior Engineer (JE) posts to the Services Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) and restore the functional hierarchy within departments like Mechanical Engineering (M&HED), Jal Shakti, and Housing and Urban Development (H&UDD).
National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq acknowledged the issue, stating, “I know many officials who have faced similar challenges. This is not a problem of two or four months; it is a very old issue. We will try to resolve all these matters and streamline the system this year. Give us some time, adding that with the government now in place, all issues will be addressed.”
(Gulistan News)
