Engineers cry foul as govt asks them to pick and choose

Hundreds of government engineers fear that they will face a serious career setback with the B S Yediyurappa administration moving to distribute the workforce among three major departments - Public Works, Water Resources and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj (RDPR).

In an order dated May 19, the government has asked all officials recruited through PWD, but serving in the water resources or RDPR departments, to make a one-time choice on where they want to be absorbed or they can choose to remain with PWD, water resources or RDPR.

Separately, the Water Resources department has started the process, giving an option to its engineers to be absorbed there.

This has irked engineers who were recruited by the PWD for ‘combined services,’ meaning they could serve in water resources as well as RDPR. Their grouse is that they have still not been given the choice to exercise such an option, as to where they would like to be absorbed.

Historically, it was the PWD that provided engineers to various government departments for execution of developmental works. In the 1990s, upon the insistence of the World Bank, engineers were recruited expressly for irrigation projects such as the Upper Krishna under a new department.

“Hundreds of us were recruited for combined services, which means that we can work for public works, water resources and rural development &
panchayat raj (RDPR).

The Water Resources Department decided to break away from the PWD by having its own engineering cadre. In that case, they should take with them all engineers who were recruited for irrigation projects. If they are left behind in the PWD, our seniority and promotions get affected,” an executive engineer explained, adding that some 2,000 engineers of the ‘combined services’ stand to be affected.

“The entire process lacks transparency. We want this to be done by all three departments together under the PWD’s supervision,” they say.

According to them, it is “illegal and unfair” for the Water Resources Department to give its engineers an option. Once recruited by the Water Resources Department, they should belong there as that will be the “parent department,” they argue.

They also claim that only the 2009-batch of engineers has been given the option by the Water Resources Department because “one of them has pulled some strings.”

Water Resources Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi told DH he will look into this. “I will discuss this with everyone concerned and take a decision after weighing the pros and cons.”