SRINAGAR: In a move aimed at cadre management, the Jal Shakti Department issued regularisation orders for 396 engineers here on Friday, with another 411 pending essential clearances.
Many benefited from pay fixation, including retired officers drawing pensions in lower ranks.
Since September 2022, 1969 engineers have been regularised, promoted, and recommended, from Junior Engineer to Superintendent Engineer. Officers had been working in an incharge capacity, i.e. on an adhoc basis, for years, without promotions. In many cases, regularisation took place after more than twenty-two years of adhoc placement.
Proactive processes by the Public Service Commission (PSC) have addressed these issues.
The Departmental Promotion Committee in the PSC promoted 70 Executive Engineers to Superintending Engineers, 129 Assistant Executive Engineers to Executive Engineers, 415 Assistant Engineers to Assistant Executive Engineers, and 665 Junior Engineers to Assistant Engineers, with another 690 officers cleared subject to essential clearances.
Since September 2022, the department has posted 19 I/c Chief Engineers, 28 I/c Superintending Engineers, 56 I/c Executive Engineers.
The department issued seniority lists to ensure transparency and stability in career progression. Regularization will pave the way for career progression from Junior Engineer to Chief Engineer.
These measures support the execution of the Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship scheme of the Government of India, providing safe drinking water to rural households in J&K.