Due to poor HR Management some retired I/C CEs got pension even in AEE grade for Ten Years

Why even “Top Grade” Engineers from IITs rush for IAS stream & not even IES as first preference ?
J&K Gazetted Engineering Services not provided even Non-Functional (M) Grade Promotions

Daya Sagar

How with a very low performance index ( some may even say with ‘neglect’) the affairs human resource management ( particular related to career progress in terms of even the existing recruitment/ service rules) related to Gazetted State / Provincial services in a ‘State ‘ like J&K ( now UT after 2019 ) have been handled over the years by the J&K Administrative Department in comparison to handling of affairs related to IAS / IPS services by DOPT (GOI)/Ministry of Home Affairs / UPSC could well be read from a few quotes related to career progress of officers entering J&K Gazetted Engineering Service through PSC like (i) A final seniority list of Hydraulic (Civil) Jal Shakti Department as it stood on 01-01-2021 was issued under G.No 176-JK (JSD) of 2021 Dated 01-09-2021 were there were 26 Superintending Engineers ( CIVIL) Jal Shakti Department and all in the list had retired by 2019 i.e there was no regular SE ( Civil) in JSD atleast as on 01-01-2021 ( 01-09-2021) (ii) Another Final seniority list as on 01 Jan 2022 of SE (Civil) Jal Shakti Department was issued vide order NO 10-JK (JSD) of 2023 Dated 25-01-2023 listing 70 officers which included only 3 officers who had to retire after 25-01-2023 i.e as on 25-01-2023 there were only 3 regular SEs who too had to retire before 2024. (iii) As on 01012017 as per G.O 355- PWD (Hyd) Dated 25-07-2017there were only 3 SEs who too had to retire by Aug 2017. As on 01-01-2013 there were only 9 SEs all retiring by April 2018. (iv) Final seniority list of AEE ( CIVIL) of PHE and Irrigation & FC Department as on 01-01-2019 was issued under No. 289 (PWD)(Hyd) of 2019 Dated 24-07-2019 included 218 AEEs some among them might have retired by then after working as AEE for even 17 to 20 years even when service rules make AEE eligible for promotion as Executive Engineer after 8 yr service as AE and 4 year as AEE. (v) In seniority list as on 08-03-2019 there were 57 EEs in JSD and all had retired by 2018 and there dates of regularization as Executive Engineer ranged from 2004 to 2011 and all had been in service for not less than 30 years. As on 29-05-2020 there were 179 Asstt Engineers appointed ( direct through PSC) from 2001 to 2017 out of which more than 130 had atleast 10 years service as AE as against just 2 years required for promotion as AEE. How unfairly the Gazetted Engineering Services in J&K Govt have been treated in status and growth too very well reflects from the facts that (i) Graduate Engineer who entered Gazetted Engineering Service before 1962 /even after 1962 grade revision was in higher pay scale to many other gazetted services like Agri/ Veterinary / KAS / JKP / etc where as in 2004 the pay scales & career growth are inferior to others like Veterinary Asst Surgeons enter service at Level 9 (pay scale in 1962 was 250-500 ) where as Asst Engineer enters at Level 8A ( in 1962 pay scale was much higher than VAS grade). As also one who entered Gazetted Engineering Service in Level 8A as Asstt Engineer through PSC with Engineering Degree can as per present service rules rise to only Level 13 ( even that does not happen in routine ) after 20yr service where as one who can enter JKAS / JKPS with a degree in any academic stream can as per present service rules rise even beyond Level -14 after getting inducted in IAS. Posts of Director General of level higher than Level 13 of Level-14 have been created even in services like J&K Statistics & Planning ( Gazetted) Service where as Engineering Gazetted service has no normal provision for rising beyond Level – 13 after 20 years in gazetted service. Not only that where there is stagnation no provision has been made for Gazetted Engineering Service officers where as provision is there in many other services like JKAS/JKAP/JK Veterinary Service/ JK Medical Services/JK Ayurvedic Service/JK Dental Service /JK Revenue Service/ JK Secretariat Service/ JK Statistical Service like under SRO 198 of 25-04-2018 for Non-Functional (Monetary) Scheme (NFS) for the members of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service.
It must have been surely with the intervention of the then Governor and due to the prevailing practices of not only ‘promoting’/ ‘posting’ engineers in Gazetted Service in J&K as Incharge AEE/Incharge EE/ Incharge SE/ Incharge CE and even retiring them have as “I/C CE” or “I/C SE” without regularization even as Executive Engineer even when the service/ recruitment rules provide qualifying service of only 2 yrs as AE(8000-275-12950 / VI-9300-34800 GP 5200 / VII- 50700-160600 /old scale) for promotion as AEE (V-9000-300-14100 Not Fair >.VI-15600-39100 GP 5600VII-56100-177500ok), qualifying gazetted service of 8 yrs with min 4 yrs as AEE for promotion as EE (V-10000-325-15200/ VI- 15600-39100 GP6600/ VII 67700-208700) , qualifying gazetted service of 17 years with 3yrs as EE for promotions as SE (12000-375-16500 old/ ( any how under SR0-403 dated 14th September, 2018 issued under Court orders the pay scales of Superintending Engineers were upgraded from Rs. 3150-4500 to Rs. 4500-5700 notionally w.e.f. 01-04-1987 and monetarily w.e.f. 01-04-1990).; anyhow at present so strangely the grade level of SE and CE is same since many last year’s i.e Level 13 ) and qualifying gazetted service as 20yr with 1 yr as SE for promotion as CE ( 14300-400-18300 / PB37400-67000 GP8700// 118500-214100 changed to 123100- 215900 present Grade Level-13 ) that J&K Governor’s SAC interalia, directed on 19 -10-2019 that the proposal for regular promotions in the Engineering cadre of the Power PDD be processed for consideration of the competent authority in government through the Establishment cum Selection Committee , even without reference to the J&K PSC as one time exception for completion by 30.11.2019.
But still actual action on some case files of retired engineers had been taken in April 2022 like Er. V.K Khajuria had retired in 2012 and three orders were issued in his favour on 22-04-2022 itself like Government Order No. 49 -JK (PDD) of 2022 promoting Er. Vinod Khajuria ( who had retired while working as I/C Chief Engineer but was getting pension in the grade of AEE only till 2022 ) as Ex. Engr w.e.f 15-09-2006,G.O. Order No. 50 -JK (PDD) of 2022, promoting Er. Vinod Khajuria as SE w.e.f 15-09-2010 and G. Order No. 51 -JK (PDD) of 2022 promoting Er. Vinod Khajuria as Chief engineer w.e.f 12-09-2012.
So, question is why the position with regards to service matters , mostly with “other services” , is irrational and frustrating for many and the Hunan Resource management for gazetted levels in State Services / Provincial services is not so encouraging ‘(wages wise ) particularly for the Gazetted Engineering Services with J&K Government.
To be continued
(thr writer is a Sr Journalist and Social Activist).