JAMMU: The Jammu & Kashmir Electrical Engineers Graduates Association (JKEEGA) has sought the urgent intervention of the Chief Minister to end what it calls “dangerous levels of adhocism” in the Power Development Department (PDD), warning that the situation is crippling the department’s functioning.
According to the association, 28 out of 36 sanctioned posts of Superintending Engineers (SEs) in PDD are currently vacant, creating severe operational bottlenecks. The association has urged the government to immediately fill these posts and address the promotion freeze caused by the current eligibility rules under the J&K Engineering (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules.
The rules require 17 years of cumulative gazetted service and three years as Executive Engineer (XEN) for promotion to SE. While most Executive Engineers already meet the 17-year service requirement, only five are likely to complete the three-year XEN service before retirement — effectively freezing the promotional ladder.
JKEEGA President Pirzada Hidayatullah pointed out that the Jal Shakti Department recently amended its recruitment rules in April 2025, allowing promotions to SE with 15 years of gazetted service and just one year as XEN. “The same criterion should be adopted in PDD to avoid prolonged stagnation,” he said, adding that detailed data on the crisis has already been submitted to the department.
General Secretary Sachin Tickoo appealed to the Chief Minister to personally intervene and extend the same rule relaxation to PDD. “If the criteria are not modified immediately, the department will remain understaffed for years, undermining its ability to deliver reliable power and meet reform goals,” he warned.
The association highlighted that 874 of the 2,450 engineering posts in PDD are vacant, including one Chief Engineer, 28 Superintending Engineers, 59 Executive Engineers, 175 Assistant Executive Engineers, 166 Assistant Engineers, and 437 Junior Engineers.
JKEEGA maintains that reducing the qualifying period as XEN is the only viable way to restore regular promotions at all levels and strengthen the department’s capacity to meet Jammu & Kashmir’s growing power demands.
