874 out of 2425 posts unfilled from MD to JE level
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, Aug 12: Total adhocism prevailed in Power Development Department (PDD) where hundreds posts of Engineers from Junior Engineer level to Managing Directors are lying vacant from a pretty long time causing stagnation and affecting work culture in the Department to a great extent.
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According to sources, 874 posts out of 2450 of Engineers right from JEs to Managing Directors level are lying vacant in the Department which has made it totally handicapped hampering its proper functioning.
Sources said despite the repeated pleas of various employees bodies in PDD the Government has failed to pay attention to this vital issue and rejuvenate the Department with the result its functioning has been constantly affected and also resulted in the stagnation of Engineers at various levels.
Terming it a grave and sensitive issue, sources said, it seems that Government is more interested in running the Department through crutches as instead of filling the vacant posts it is adopting delaying tactics in relieving the Department of manpower shortage especially at Engineers level.
Sources said out of total cadre strength of 2540 posts of Engineers from JE to MD level, the Department faced a shortage of 874 Engineers which is almost 36 percent of the total cadre strength.
The Department has a sanctioned strength of two MD posts but both are lying vacant at present while all four posts of Executive Directors (E) are also lying vacant. Besides, the post of JMD CVPPL and Secretary (technical) are also lying vacant at present.
One post of Chief Engineer out of 13 sanctioned strength in the Department is also lying vacant while out of 36 Superintending Engineers, 28 posts are lying vacant and out of 126 posts of Executive Engineers 59 are lying unfilled in various PDD divisions of J&K.
Sources said the Department has a total cadre strength of 497 Assistant Executive Engineers, out of which 175 posts are lying vacant while 166 posts of Assistant Engineers out of 608 posts are lying vacant. Likewise, 437 posts of Junior Engineers are lying vacant out of total sanctioned strength of 1162 posts, sources added.
Sources said out of 28 vacant posts of SEs, 21 offices are run on additional charge bases. One SE has been given charge of two to three circles while seven posts of Superintending Engineers are totally unfilled for reasons best known to authorities at the helm of affairs.
Sources said with 450 posts of Junior Engineers falling vacant J&K Service Selection Board (SSB) has even failed to hold written examination and complete the recruitment of advertised posts. This is a cause of concern and one fails to understand whether Department exigency /requirement is any criteria of referral or not, sources added.
Sources said the Department is bleeding as it has no Engineers on top level and no one to take on assignment at lower/ entry level. Terming the approach adopted by SSB as catastrophic, sources opined it must not delay the recruitment of Junior Engineers on one pretext or another as this way the functioning of the Department is getting hampered and consumers become the main sufferers.
Sources said there is a resentment among the in service Engineers also who are overburdened with the work due to shortage of Engineers on various positions. The Engineering bodies have even made umpteen pleas to the authorities demanding filling up of vacant positions so that the work in department does not suffer and people are also not put to hardships.
Sources said that against the total cadre strength of 36 posts of Superintending Engineer (E), existing strength remains as 8 only. As such number of vacancies as on 01.08.2025 against the cadre strength is 28, which in the coming months as a result of superannuation and promotions, bound to get further increased and by the end of December 2025 almost 33 posts shall fall vacant, sources added.
Sources said the main bottleneck which is coming in way of promotions at Superintending Engineer level is that as per age old recruitment rules of 1978, three years service as Executive Engineer and minimum 17 years of Gazetted Service has been mandatorily stipulated. The most of the officers presently holding the post of Executive Engineers are retiring within next one year. Consequentially in view of deficient qualifying service, none of the Executive Engineers shall be eligible for promotions and a complete vacuum at the level of SE post, shall get created and hence ultimately the Chief Engineer level will also get affected and stagnation at AE/AEE/Xen levels shall be at its peak, sources added.
Sources said there is a growing demand among the in service Engineers that partial relaxation be given in the qualifying service required for the promotion to the level of Superintending Engineer. As such, to maintain, bare minimum cadre strength at this level, relaxation in the eligibility criteria needs to be considered. Reduction of qualifying service to one year as Executive Engineer for promotion to the post of Superintending Engineer out of the total cumulative Gazetted service of 17 years may be considered as availability of SEs serving as the Controlling Officers being imperative for the functioning and overall operationalization of various Corporations of JKPDD, sources added.
Sources said as per the CSR rules, Relaxation could be considered under Rule-5 of J&K Civil Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1956, stating therein, that “Any of these rules made, may for reasons to be recorded in writing, be relaxed by the Government in individual cases, if Government is satisfied that a strict application of the rule would cause hardship to the individual concerned or confer undue benefit on him”.
Sources said that relaxation has been considered by Jal Shakti Department and formal Government order too has been issued under No: 94-JK(JSD) of 2025 Dated: 02.04.2025, wherein such relaxation has been granted and even promotions based on this relaxed criteria have been issued at level of Superintending Engineer in that Department.
Sources said when the Jal Shakti Department can make such relaxations why not the PDD and why the two different yardsticks are adopted in two different departments. Moreover, PDD having much public dealing needs man power to ensure better power supply to consumers but how can Department tackle the problems when it is itself on crutches, sources added.
However when contacted H Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary PDD said that the Government is on the job and new posts of JEs are under recruitment process as posts have been already referred to SSB which is in the process of making recruitment.
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