Alternate course of action following scrapping of SHGs
Resentment brewing among thousands of unemployed Enggs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Dec 26: Despite severe criticism of Government’s decision about abolition of Self Help Groups (SHGs) of engineers, a high-level committee has failed to suggest alternate course of action even over three months after its constitution thereby leading to further resentment among the unemployed engineers across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Interestingly, no time-frame had been fixed for the committee by the Government at the time of its constitution for submission of detailed report on terms of references and this is considered as main reason behind the ‘dilly-dallying’ approach.
The Administrative Council vide its Decision No. 102/ 15/ 2020 dated August 4, 2020 had accorded approval to the rationalization and reorganization of the engineering staff and merger of engineering wings of 15 departments/ organizations in the Public Works (R&B) Department with effect from December 1, 2020.
In the light of the Administrative Council decision, the General Administration Department on August 10, 2020 issued a detailed order wherein it was mentioned that the practice of reserving a proportion of projects for Self Help Groups of engineers is abolished forthwith.
This decision received widespread criticism and led to strong protests in Jammu as well as in Srinagar as the same dealt severe blow to thousands of young unemployed engineers who were earning bread and butter by working through Self Help Groups in various departments like Public Works (R&B), PMGSY, Public Health Engineering (now Jal Shakti), Power Development and Rural Engineering Wing.
Following hue and cry from various quarters, the Government vide Order No.888-JK (GAD) dated September 22, 2020 constituted a committee to examine all matters related to the Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme in its entirety.
The committee headed by Advisor R R Bhatnagar and comprised of Principal Secretary PW(R&B) Department, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, Secretary to the Government, Jal Shakti Department and Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj was assigned the task of examining in detail all aspects of the Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme including background of its creation, the reservation of works, the extent of utilization, the number of Self Help Groups/Engineers working under the scheme and its impact on the quality and cost of the projects.
Moreover, the committee was asked to examine the pros and cons of the scheme and suggest an alternate course of action taking into account both public interest and the future of engineers.
However, despite lapse of more than three months the high-level committee has failed to accomplish the task assigned to it much to the disappointment of thousands of young unemployed engineers, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “there is dilly-dallying approach in holding deliberations and submission of report to the Government mainly because no time-frame was mentioned in the Government order”.
“No doubt the committee has met twice-thrice during the past over three months but no final decision could be taken because of unknown reasons”, sources informed, adding “had Government been serious towards the concern expressed by cross section of society following abolition of Self Help Groups Scheme it would have laid stress on suggestion of alternate course of action in a time bound manner”.
Sources further said, “no time-frame can still be specified for the completion of task by the high-level committee”, adding “since future of thousands of engineers is at the stake the panel should accomplish the task as early as possible so that there is clarity about the stand to be adopted by the Government”.
It is pertinent to mention here that about 2500 Self Help Groups of Engineers from various streams like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, Electronics and Communications, Computer Sciences and Bio Medical Engineering were contributing for nation building since 2004 when the then Chief Minister had introduced the scheme.
The scheme was launched to tap potential and skills of the unemployed engineers and give them opportunity to early livelihood by raising registered firms with District Industries Centers (DICs) and seeking registration cards from the J&K Labour and Employment Department.
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