Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 20: The Jammu & Kashmir Mechanical Engineering Graduates Association (JKMEGA), representing the engineering fraternity, has urged upon the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Council of Cabinet Ministers to implement the long-awaited Assured Career Progression (ACP) Scheme which has been approved by previous Government.
In a meeting of the Association held here today the members pointed out that an SRO in this regard is yet to be issued. They said this crucial reform is essential to addressing decades of career stagnation that have significantly impacted morale and productivity of engineers. They are pivotal in the development of Jammu and Kashmir, driving infrastructure projects across vital sectors such as healthcare, water supply, power, and road connectivity.
Despite their unwavering commitment to public service, the majority of engineers face a career structure that offers limited opportunities for advancement, decades of stagnation and inequity. The demand for the ACP scheme has persisted for over three decades, yet engineers in continue to suffer from severe career stagnation.
A staggering 76% of engineers retire at entry-level positions such as Assistant Engineer or Assistant Executive Engineer, with only a fraction advancing to higher ranks. While similar career progression schemes have been promptly implemented for administrative and police services. The absence of cadre expansion since 1997 has further compounded this issue, leaving engineers demoralized and undervalued.
They also demand that the expansion of Mechanical Wing in Jal Shakti is imperative and unavoidable for successful implementation of JJM and efficient public delivery services system in future for general public of J&K. This issue of Mechanical expansion is very important as on average there is only one Mechanical Division to deliver for 4 districts and as such these divisions are overburdened. They hoped that these welfare works of general interest for better public delivery system will be addressed on priority.
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