Jammu, Sep 3: A delegation of the J&K Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA), led by its General Secretary Er. Sachin Tickoo, today, called on the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo at the Civil Secretariat, Jammu, to highlight the severe shortage of engineers in the Power Development Department (PDD).
In a statement, JKEEGA said that more than 900 engineering posts out of 2,450 in the PDD remain vacant, along with thousands of non-gazetted technical posts. Despite this vacuum, the department was able to restore nearly 1,000 MW of power within 12 hours on August 26, after flash floods had reduced supply in Jammu province to 300 MW.
“The situation is alarming as 29 out of 36 Superintending Engineer posts, 66 out of 126 Executive Engineer posts, 177 Assistant Executive Engineer posts, 166 Assistant Engineer posts, and around 450 Junior Engineer posts are lying vacant,” the statement said.
It added that many eligible officers retired without promotion, leaving critical positions in districts such as Jammu, Kathua, Rajouri, and Kishtwar unfilled, thereby hampering restoration and long-term planning.
JKEEGA further said that in the transmission sector one Superintending Engineer is holding three charges, while the MD JKPTCL had to camp at restoration sites due to acute manpower shortage personally. The association urged the government to adopt the same relaxation of service criteria that was recently granted in the Jal Shakti Department, to enable timely promotions in PDD.
According to the statement, the Chief Secretary consented to the proposal and directed the Principal Secretary PDD to examine the matter on similar lines for early redressal.
