Kashmir Engineers Body Raises Alarm Over Staff Crisis in Jammu Kashmir

SRINAGAR: The Joint Coordination Committee of Engineering Graduates Association (JCCEGA), a united body of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Engineering Graduates Association (JKCEGA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Mechanical Engineering Graduates Association (JKMEGA), has expressed serious concern over what it described as a “deepening crisis” in the engineering workforce across key government departments in Jammu and Kashmir.

In a statement issued after its Executive Committee meeting on October 7, the JCCEGA said the shortage of engineering personnel—both in the civil and mechanical wings—has reached a point where several public works and service delivery mechanisms are on the brink of collapse. The association said that despite repeated representations, the government has failed to fill crucial vacancies, resulting in administrative paralysis at both divisional and sub-divisional levels.

“The departments are virtually headless, engineers are overburdened and demoralised, and essential services stand severely disrupted,” the statement noted.

A major example of the crisis, the association said, is the Jal Shakti Department’s mechanical wing, which has been operating without a full complement of Executive Engineers for months. According to Government Order No. 134-JK(JSD) of 2025, additional charges of Executive Engineers (Mechanical) were temporarily assigned to Superintending Engineers as an interim measure. However, JCCEGA said the arrangement has now become unsustainable as no fresh postings have been made by the parent Public Works Department (R&B) for over six months.

The association listed several critical issues, including widespread vacancies in the positions of Superintending Engineers, Executive Engineers, Assistant Executive Engineers, and Assistant Engineers. It also highlighted that many Junior Engineers eligible for promotion have been waiting for years, leading to stagnation and inefficiency. “The severe shortage of engineers has hampered development works and undermined public welfare initiatives,” the JCCEGA said.

The Committee has placed a set of demands before the government, urging immediate administrative action. These include: Urgent filling of all vacant posts through postings and placements; regularisation of all in-charge officers, pending for decades; Experience relaxation for promotions to Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineer ranks; Expedited promotions from Junior Engineer to Assistant Engineer and from Assistant Engineer to Assistant Executive Engineer; Implementation of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme through issuance of an SRO, as already approved by the Cabinet, and Referring all vacant Junior Engineer posts to the Services Selection Recruitment Board (SSRB) for fresh recruitment.

The JCCEGA has made an earnest appeal to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretary, PWD (Roads and Buildings), to intervene immediately, especially as departments have begun winter preparedness exercises. “Many key departments, including Roads and Buildings, Mechanical and Hospital Engineering, and Jal Shakti, are functioning without top-level officers, which could seriously affect winter operations,” the association warned.

“Reviving the engineering hierarchy is critical to restore public services, ensure timely project execution, and uphold the dignity of the engineering fraternity,” the statement added.

The association cautioned that if the government fails to act swiftly, engineers may be compelled to launch peaceful protests, including the surrender of additional charges, as a mark of protest against prolonged administrative inaction.

The statement was issued by the Joint Coordination Committee of Engineering Graduates Association (JCCEGA).