JKEEGA defers engineers' protest to Jan 8 amid snowfall

Srinagar/Jammu, Dec 28: The Jammu Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) has postponed its planned sit-in protest from December 30 to January 8, 2025, citing the ongoing weather emergency across the region.

The decision came during an emergency online meeting of JKEEGA's Guidance Counsel, held simultaneously in Srinagar and Jammu, following heavy snowfall that has disrupted critical services since December 27. The association's leadership prioritized public welfare over their pending demands for engineer regularization.

"Our engineers need to focus on restoration activities to minimize public suffering during this severe weather," said Er Pirzada Hidayatullah, President of JKEEGA. The protest aims to address the non-implementation of the State Administrative Council's (SAC) decision from October 21, 2019, regarding the regularization of PDD Engineers and other human resource issues.

Er Sachin Tickoo, General Secretary of JKEEGA, emphasised that while their demands remain urgent, the immediate focus must be on managing the weather crisis. "The consensus to defer the protest demonstrates our commitment to public service during emergencies," he added.

The association's original protest plan centred on the long-pending regularisation of Power Development Department engineers, an issue approved by the SAC more than four years ago but still awaiting implementation.

Several civil society organisations have welcomed JKEEGA's decision to postpone the protest, praising the engineers' commitment to public service during the severe weather conditions. They commended the association for prioritizing emergency response efforts over their legitimate demands during this critical time.

JKEEGA's leadership has confirmed that the rescheduled protest will proceed on January 8, 2025, unless their demands are addressed before then.