Srinagar, June 22 (KNO): The J&K Engineers Forum convened an emergency meeting to deliberate on pressing issues affecting Civil Engineers across the Union Territory.
According to a statement issued to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the members expressed unanimous anguish over the prolonged delay by the establishment-cum-selection committee in appointing 10 Chief Engineers in the Jal Shakti Department, despite formal relaxation granted by the cabinet.
The Forum emphasized that the delay has not only disrupted the administrative functioning of key engineering departments but is also adversely impacting service delivery and project implementation across J&K. “It is unfortunate that even after cabinet relaxation, the committee has failed to take cognizance of the gravity of the situation, leaving crucial departments headless,” the Forum stated.
Particularly concerning is the absence of Chief Engineers in the I&FC Department (Kashmir) and RTIC, which has significantly hampered irrigation operations during the peak agricultural season in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions. Likewise, critical departments such as Urban Engineering and the Power Development Corporation have remained without Chief Engineers since March 2025, stalling numerous developmental projects across the region.
In view of the public hardship and stagnation in engineers’ career progression, the Forum has constituted a delegation of senior engineers to seek the personal intervention of the Chief Minister. “Only timely intervention at the highest level can resolve this prolonged issue and restore administrative functionality in the engineering departments,” the Forum added.
The Forum has urged the government to expedite the appointment process to mitigate further disruption and to ensure uninterrupted execution of public infrastructure and utility services across the UT—(KNO)