Ajay Sharma
Jammu Tawi, April 6: The Public Works Department (PWD) in Jammu and Kashmir is facing a severe staff crunch, with multiple senior positions lying vacant that proved a major obstacle in the speed of the developmental works..
According to sources, substantial number of vacancies has been accruing due to the deaths and superannuation at the top and middle level positions and those remained unfilled for long. Due to casual approach of the top authorities, the adhocism and mismanagement prevailed in the functioning of the department.
“The PWD is in a bad shape, especially with regard to staffing. The most alarming issue is that senior-most posts, including those of Chief Engineers and Superintending Engineers, are vacant,” said sources, adding that critical posts such as the Chief Engineer of the PWD Chief Engineer’s Circle, PMGSY Chief Engineer in Jammu, and Chief Engineers in districts like Reasi, Poonch, and Reasi remain unoccupied.
Additionally, several posts of Junior Engineers (JE), Assistant Engineers (AE), and Assistant Executive Engineers (AEE) are also lying vacant.
“These vacancies are affecting public work on the ground. Without senior officials in place, how will developmental plans move forward? It is the responsibility of the government and its top officers to address this crisis,” sources emphasized.
They further warned that if these positions are not filled promptly, public grievances will only escalate, and many development projects could come to a halt.
“Plans are forwarded by Chief Engineers. If these posts are vacant, the entire process of planning and execution comes to a standstill,” they added.
Sources further said that the locals have now appealed to the higher authorities, including the Principal Secretary of the PWD, to take immediate action and ensure that all critical posts are filled without further delay to avoid inconvenience to the public and to ensure uninterrupted developmental activities in the region.
