Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 16: Telephone Supervisors appointed in 2020 under Level-6 pay grade today raised strong objections to the recently notified draft recruitment rules.
In a representation, the employees alleged that the draft rules were “discriminatory and detrimental to their cadre.”
They said rules seek to downgrade the post of Telephone Supervisor from Level-6 to Level-4, terming demoralising and unjustified.
The employees also pointed out that Level-4 is designated for Telephone Operators, not Supervisors.
They also criticised what they described as ambiguity in eligibility norms, noting that the earlier requirement of a Diploma or Degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering had been diluted to a general Graduate/Diploma/Degree, potentially allowing underqualified candidates to enter a highly technical field.
The Supervisors further expressed disappointment that their 2022 proposal to rename the post as Junior Engineer (Telecom) remains unaddressed.
They argued that the existing nomenclature does not reflect the wide range of duties now handled, including departmental exchanges, IT infrastructure, surveillance systems, LAN/WAN management, servers, websites, and troubleshooting.
Alleging bias in career progression, they pointed out that no promotion pathway has been provided for their cadre in the draft rules, while non-technical cadres such as Storekeepers and Drivers have defined promotional avenues.
This, they said, reflects a clear policy bias, leaving them stagnated till retirement.
The Supervisors have urged the authorities to retain the post at Level-6, restore strict technical qualifications in ECE/Telecommunication, approve the pending nomenclature change to Junior Engineer (Telecom), establish a promotion hierarchy up to Executive Engineer (IT), and withdraw IT-related posts from unrelated cadres.
They said the issues, if left unaddressed, would compromise the dignity, growth and recognition of the cadre.
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