PHE Department Gets New Technical Posts, Divisions in Major Reform Push
Srinagar, May 16, KNT: The Jammu and Kashmir government has approved a comprehensive cadre review and restructuring of the J&K Engineering (Gazetted) Service in the Jal Shakti Department in a major administrative reform aimed at strengthening water supply management, technical supervision, and quality monitoring across the Union Territory.
The reforms were sanctioned through Government Order No. 91-JK(JSD) of 2026 dated May 15 following concurrence from the Finance Department and approval by the Council of Ministers.
Officials said the restructuring exercise was undertaken to improve administrative efficiency, streamline field operations, strengthen technical oversight, and address emerging challenges in the water sector, particularly in remote and underserved areas.
As part of the approved reforms, the government has sanctioned creation of the post of Secretary Technical in the Jal Shakti Department to improve policy coordination and strengthen technical decision-making at the departmental level.
In another major development, the government has approved establishment of a separate Drinking Water Inspection and Quality Control (DIQC) wing to enhance surveillance and monitoring of drinking water quality across Jammu and Kashmir.
To strengthen field-level engineering operations, new offices of Superintending Engineer have also been created for Hydraulic Circle Jammu-I and Hydraulic Circle Bandipora.
Officials said the move is expected to improve operational management and supervision of water supply infrastructure in the respective regions.
The government has further approved creation of six new divisions, including Hydraulic Divisions at Gandoh, Gurez, and Tangdar, a PHE Division at Mendhar, and two separate Water Quality and Monitoring Divisions for Jammu and Kashmir provinces.
The newly sanctioned divisions are expected to improve public utility service delivery, particularly in difficult terrain and border areas where water supply management remains operationally challenging.
Mechanical Sub-Divisions within the department have also been restructured as part of the reforms to optimize manpower utilization and improve efficiency in maintenance and mechanical operations.
According to the order, the restructuring process includes creation of 43 posts through rationalization measures along with reduction of 62 existing posts, encadrement of 10 posts, and reassignment of 137 posts within the cadre structure.
The government has additionally revised deputation and leave reserve provisions at various engineering levels to strengthen human resource management and improve career progression opportunities for employees within the department.
Officials said the cadre review is expected to significantly strengthen institutional capacity and improve delivery of safe drinking water and allied utility services across Jammu and Kashmir.
The reforms come amid a broader push to revitalize the engineering and technical workforce within the department under the leadership of Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana.
Recently, nearly 300 engineers were appointed in the department in what officials described as a major boost to the department’s technical manpower capacity. [KNT]
About The Author
