JCCEGA raises alarm over engineering staff crisis in J&K

Srinagar, Oct 8: The Joint Coordination Committee of Engineering Graduates Association (JCCEGA), a united forum of JKCEGA and JKMEGA, has sounded a serious alarm over the growing engineering staff crisis in Jammu & Kashmir.

In its Executive Committee meeting held on October 7, 2025, the association expressed grave concern over the acute shortage of engineering personnel across critical departments, both in Civil and Mechanical wings, leading to paralysis in project execution and public service delivery, said a press release.

Despite repeated representations, the persistent administrative inaction has left departments leaderless at the divisional and sub-divisional levels. Engineers are overburdened and demoralised, with services severely disrupted.

An example is the dearth of Executive Engineer (Mechanical) in the Jal Shakti Department which has forced the government to assign additional charges of Xen Mechanical to Superintending Engineers, as per Government Order No. 134-JK(JSD) of 2025—a temporary solution now proving unsustainable, as no such vacant xen posted to said Department by parent pwd (R&B) since from almost more than six months time, it said.

The key issues highlighted includes numerous vacant posts across both Civil and Mechanical wings, including:

SEs, XENs, AEEs, AEs, eligible Junior Engineers denied timely promotions, causing stagnation and inefficiency and severe shortage of engineers hampering public welfare and development works.

JCCEGA’s demands include urgent filling of all vacant posts through posting and placements, pending regularisations of all in-charge officers which is awaited since decades, experience relaxation for CE and SE promotions only (as all other cadres have eligible officers), expedite long-overdue promotions from JE to AE and AE to AEE, implementation of assured career progression ( ACP) schemes by issuance of SRO of already approved cabinet decision in this regard and refer all vacant JE posts to SSRB for fresh recruitment

The Joint Coordination Committee has appealed Chief Minister Jenab Omar Abdullah, Deputy Chief Minister, Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretary PWD (R&B) for immediate intervention especially as winter preparedness has been taken up in hand by concerned departments who are without top levels officers especially in R&B , Mechanical & Hospital Engineering Department and in Jalshakti etc. “Reviving the engineering hierarchy is critical to restore public services, ensure timely project execution, and uphold the dignity of the engineering fraternity,” stated JCCEGA.

The association warned that peaceful protests including surrender of additional charges may become unavoidable if urgent steps are not taken for the resolution of these administrative issues.