JKEEGA celebrates Engineers’ Day, highlights power sector achievements

Srinagar, Sep 16: The J&K Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) celebrated Engineers’ Day to honour the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya, with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah attending as Chief Guest.

The event was also attended by Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chairman AIPEF Shailender Kumar Dubey, Managing Directors of KPDCL and JKPTCL, and several senior and retired engineers of JKPDD.

In his address, JKEEGA President Er Pirzada Hidayatullah thanked the Chief Minister for gracing the occasion and boosting the morale of power engineers. He highlighted the government’s recent measures in the power sector, including regularisation of engineers, charge allowance for in-charge engineers, referral of junior engineer posts to the Service Selection Board, and record promotions which have contributed to improved performance.

Chairman AIPEF Shailender Dubey called for bringing J&K power engineers at par with their counterparts across India in terms of pay, grades and promotions. He opposed any move towards privatisation, stressing that the unique challenges of the hill state required stronger public infrastructure.

In his keynote address, the Chief Minister lauded the role of engineers in electrifying remote areas such as Gurez, Machil and Karnah, improving billing efficiency and reducing AT&C losses. He acknowledged long-pending HR concerns and assured resolution of issues such as Assured Career Progression, regularisation and timely recruitment. He also clarified that no privatisation proposal was under consideration, a statement that drew relief and applause from the gathering.

The Advisor to the Chief Minister pledged to act as a bridge between the engineers and the government.

The programme featured a visual presentation on the history and achievements of the J&K power sector, dating back to the commissioning of the 6 MW Mohra Power Plant in 1905. Tributes were paid to engineers who lost their lives in service, with a minute’s silence observed in their memory.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Chief Engineer Er Dalbir Singh, reaffirming JKEEGA’s resolve to continue celebrating Engineers’ Day annually to highlight the contributions of power engineers in J&K.