Jammu, Sep 24: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has set up a high-powered committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the service rules governing engineering departments, amid growing concerns over the shortage of eligible manpower for promotion to higher posts.
The panel will be headed by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and will include senior bureaucrats serving as Administrative Secretaries of key departments such as Jal Shakti, Roads & Buildings, Power Development, Finance, General Administration, ARI & Trainings, and Law, Justice & Parliamentary Affairs. Officials said the inclusion of these departments underscores the wide-ranging implications of engineering cadre management across infrastructure, governance, and financial planning.
The committee has been entrusted with examining structural gaps within the current service rules and identifying constraints that have led to stagnation in promotions and career advancement for engineers. Many engineers have long complained of limited opportunities due to outdated rules, delayed cadre reviews, and lack of synchronization between recruitment and promotion avenues, which has created both administrative bottlenecks and morale issues in the workforce.
The government has directed the committee to submit practical recommendations, strictly in line with service law, to ensure fairness and transparency. It has also been empowered to co-opt additional officers or domain experts if necessary, to bring in technical and legal perspectives during the review.
Sources said the move comes at a crucial time, with large-scale infrastructure projects underway in sectors like water supply, road connectivity, renewable energy, and power transmission, where efficient engineering leadership is indispensable. Officials believe that addressing manpower shortages at the senior level will not only streamline decision-making but also help accelerate project execution and improve accountability.
By revisiting the service rules, the government aims to strike a balance between recruitment, promotion, and skill-based placements, creating a stronger career trajectory for engineers and ensuring that higher posts are filled in a timely and merit-based manner. The outcome of this review, stakeholders say, could mark a significant reform in the administrative architecture of Jammu and Kashmir’s engineering services.