SRINAGAR: Engineers in Jammu and Kashmir have renewed their demand for the implementation of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme, urging the government to make specific budgetary provisions in the forthcoming Budget to operationalise the long-pending policy.
The ACP scheme, announced in 2018 after years of representations by the engineering fraternity, was approved through a Cabinet Memorandum and provided for in the Budget. However, it remains unimplemented due to the non-issuance of the required Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO).
With limited promotional posts at senior levels—Executive Engineer, Superintending Engineer and Chief Engineer—nearly 90 percent of engineers reportedly retire after more than 30 years of service at the level of Assistant Engineer or Assistant Executive Engineer. The situation is expected to worsen due to continuous recruitments since 2004, which have further constrained promotional avenues.
The Joint Coordination Committee of Graduate Engineers has appealed to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Council of Ministers and legislators to address the issue in the upcoming Budget. The Committee has called for immediate budgetary allocation to ensure effective implementation of the ACP scheme.
In a joint statement, JKCEGA president Er Farooq Ahmed and JKMEGA president Er Firdous Ahad Bhat said they were hopeful that the government would address what they described as a decades-old injustice. They said the ACP scheme is already in place for other professional cadres in Jammu and Kashmir and for engineers in other states.
They added that implementation of the scheme would improve morale among engineers, enhance efficiency and accountability in public works, and contribute to better service delivery and overall development of the Union Territory.
