Engineers observe state wide protest, hold rally Infront of Div. Com office Jammu

Srinagar, July 16 (RNA): State Graduate Engineers of all cadres (CEs, SEs, XENs, AEEs, AEs & JEs) and all wings (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical) under the banner of State Joint Action Committee today held massive protest at Lok Nirman Bhawan, Jammu against the decades long injustice and non fulfillment of Long Pending demands viz issuance of SRO for release of Time Bound Running Grades/ Assured Career Progression already approved by Government on the pattern of doctors, Regularization of services of Engineers at all levels, Cadre review in Engineering Departments, Filling up of all the vacant posts in parent and allied Engineering departments, Removal of Pay anomalies of Engineers at all levels and enhancement of Fixed traveling allowance. In a first of its kind similar protests were also observed at all District Head quarters also. Entire Engineering fraternity from all wings/ Departments participated and engineering departments wore deserted look. Addressing a mammoth gathering of more than 1000 engineers, Er. Gandeep Pargal lambasted the delaying tactics and casual approach adopted towards engineers by the Government and expressed his anguish that even the assurance of His Excellency the Governor regarding S.R.O for extending the benefits of Time Bound Running Grades/ Assured Career Progression to J&K Engineering Gazetted Services at par with doctors immediately after opening of Darbar at Srinagar couldn't come true and at the same time vociferously  demanded not to play further with the sentiments of engineers. He urged to resolve the just demands without any further delay for which entire Engineering fraternity is eagerly waiting. Er. Harvinder Singh President JK EEGA emphasized that the Junior Engineer cadre has wrongly been placed in 4200 Grade Pay instead of 4260 for the last 7 years whereas in 2010 Govt., has already rectified Pay anomaly of Junior Engineers but the administration is hesitating in implementation of the same for which necessary orders need to be issued. Besides, Er. Mujib Tak, State Chief Patron, All J&K Graduate Engineers Association, Civil & Er. Deepak Gupta, General Secretary of Mechanical Engineering Graduate Association laid  thrust on Regularization of services of Engineers at all levels on the basis of Work and Conduct certificate / Integrity Certificate issued by HODs and Counter signed by respective Administrative Secretaries for which the Engineers are  facing huge discrimination since last more than 30 years due to which Graduate Engineers are forced to work on half salary and Retiring in the grade of Junior Engineers inspite of serving as XENs and above. Other speakers among whom were Senior Engineers, Sh. Sanjeev Chadha, C.E PHE & IFC, Sh. Nasir Goni, C.E PWD(R&B), Er. Gagan Jyoti, C.E MED, Er. Neeraj Sharma, XEN PDD, Er. D. K Khanna, C.E PMGSY Jammu stressed upon review of cadre in Engineering Departments which has not been reviewed since 1987 whereas cadre of all the departments other than Engineering Departments have been reviewed time to time. 

Speakers also demanded enhancement of F.T.A. from existing Rs. 30/- PM to Rs. 5000/- P.M. In the light of the above present scenario, many young and bright Engineers now-a-days are reluctant to join State Engineering Services with the result the State is likely to be deprived of brilliant Engineers in future which will be a setback to Govt. for implementation of Developmental Agenda of the State. For the first time, retiree engineers who were victims of non regularization of their services also joined the protest and raised slogans against injustice. Engineers were so enraged that they came on roads in the form of mammoth rally of engineers from all cadres (Civil, Electrical, Mechanical) culminated at Divisional Commissioner, Jammu office where memorandum was handed over to Divisional Commissioner, Sh. Sanjeev Verma, IAS in the presence of participants of the rally. It was unanimously announced in the meeting that if commitments made by the Govt. are not fulfilled at an earliest, the Engineers will not refrain from taking any harsh mode of action including snapping of essential services after deadline date which will soon be announced by Joint Action Committee. It was also informed that similar protests were held in other districts at district head quarters.

Prominent among office bearers of the association, who spoke on the occasion include Er. Z.A Malik, Er. Gopal Sharma, Er. Rahat Gupta, Er. Anil Thapa (General Secretary) Er. Ashish Bhasin,Er.Neeraj Sharma, Er. Rajan Mengi Er. Kulbhushan Bhau and many others.
The proceedings of the Protest were carried out by Er. Gopal Sharma. (RNA)