Engineers raise red flag over administrative vacuum in Jal Shakti Department
Srinagar, June 22: The Jammu & Kashmir Engineers Forum has sounded the alarm over what it calls a damaging and prolonged delay in the appointment of Chief Engineers in the Jal Shakti Department, despite formal relaxation already granted by the Cabinet.
In an emergency meeting convened on Friday, the Forum expressed serious concern about the administrative paralysis this has caused across key engineering departments in the Union Territory.
According to the Forum, ten crucial Chief Engineer positions have remained vacant for months, directly impacting project implementation, service delivery, and the smooth functioning of the Jal Shakti and allied departments. Particularly troubling, members noted, is the absence of Chief Engineers in the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department in Kashmir and the Ravi Tawi Irrigation Complex (RTIC), at a time when water management is critical for farmers during the peak agricultural season.
The Forum stated that other major departments such as Urban Engineering and the Power Development Corporation, have also been functioning without appointed Chief Engineers since March 2025, resulting in stalled development work and growing discontent among the engineering workforce.
“It is highly unfortunate that even after the Cabinet cleared the way, the Establishment-cum-Selection Committee has failed to act,” the Forum said in a statement. “This inaction is creating an operational vacuum and affecting not only the engineers’ morale but also the lives of ordinary citizens depending on timely infrastructure services.”
Forum members expressed concern that the lack of appointments is also obstructing career progression for deserving engineers who have been waiting for promotional opportunities. The uncertainty, they warned, could lead to long-term consequences in both governance and public welfare.
In a bid to break the deadlock, the Forum has constituted a delegation of senior engineers who will approach the Chief Minister directly, urging her to intervene and expedite the selection and appointment process.
“Only timely intervention at the highest level can restore order and direction to our engineering institutions,” the Forum added. “If these delays continue, the consequences will be felt in disrupted public services, missed project deadlines, and wasted government spending.”
The Forum also appealed to the administration to recognise the urgency of the matter and ensure that all pending appointments are fast-tracked to prevent further disruption in infrastructure development across Jammu and Kashmir.
