Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 3: Assessing sensitivity and gravity of the vaccum of top engineering positions in the Power Development Department, JKEEGA delegation led by Sachin Tickoo general secretary called on Chief Secretary of J&K here and apprised him about the huge vacancy position of the PDD and its impact on the restoration works and long term/short term planning to rebuild the affected infrastructure damaged during the floods that have rocked the length and breadth of entire J&K.
JKEEGA briefed him that despite limited manpower with over 900 posts of Engineering cadre vacant out of 2450 positions in PDD and thousands of Technical Non Gazetted cadre posts down the line vacant, the Department within twelve hours on Aug 26, 2025 was able to get back to normal load of nearly 1000 MW in Jammu province which had plummeted to 300 MW with hectic restoration works launched in the times when flash floods lashed the entire landscape of Jammu Province.
JKEEGA has been for last so many months through all mediums been apprising the entire Administrative set up about the dire need to fill the 29 vacant positions out of 36 at the level of Superintending Engineer (E), 66 vacant positions out of 126 of Executive Engineers, 177 vacancies of Assistant Executive Engineers, 166 vacancies of Assistant Engineers and fast tracking of recruitment of nearly 450 Junior Engineers.
The apathy is such , that even the eligible officers who had to be promoted as SEs were made to superannuate without promotion and critical positions of the Superintending Engineer in Jammu/Kathua/ Rajouri/ Kishtwar / TO to MD, SE Circle-I among others are vacant during the crisis period of Flood situation in J&K. Crucial positions of Executive Engineers in various Districts are vacant and additional charge to Superintending Engineers has been assigned making it impossible for one person to manage three charges.
It is also in place to mention that while restoration works in Jammu are being undertaken, the Superintending Engineer Jammu/Kathua/Rajouri/Kishtwar are vacant and even in Transmission sector one Superintending Engineer is assigned charge of three Superintending Engineers and also he is holding charge of Executive Engineer of TLMD-IV, making it impossible to deliver without impacting administrative efficacy.
The situation is so precarious that MD JKPTCL had to herself camp for three days at site of restoration work of Tower of 220 KV BKTL line, as she is holding charge of Chief Engineer, JKPTCL Jammu and out of three posts of Superintending Engineer in JKPTCL Jammu , only one is in place , who too is holding additional charge of Executive engineer.
Taking cognizance of the factual position Chief Secy took up the matter with Principal Secretary PDD for an early action on the issues brought to his notice.
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