Urgent Appeal to the Chief Minister: Resolving Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department Employee Challenges

Urgent Appeal to the Chief Minister: Resolving Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department Employee Challenges

Srinagar Date: 11/11/2024 (JKNN)

Jammu & Kashmir – The Power Employees Coordination Committee has submitted an urgent appeal to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, seeking immediate intervention in addressing long-standing issues affecting nearly 18,000 employees of the Jammu & Kashmir Power Development Department (JKPDD). Despite the department’s vital role in supplying electricity to Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh since 1908, the committee highlights that employee welfare has been persistently neglected.

According to the Coordination Committee, while JKPDD has expanded its infrastructure and consumer base over the years, the well-being and career progression of its employees have not kept pace. The committee recalls the reforms from 1981 and the sector’s rejuvenation after 1996, which restored infrastructure through various government schemes. However, since the unbundling of JKPDD into five corporations following the 2019 Reorganisation Act, many employees have faced increased hardships due to stalled promotions, withheld service benefits, and disrupted allowances.

The Coordination Committee outlined thirteen key grievances:

1. Regularization of PDL/TDL Workers: Workers remain unregularized despite SO-109 provisions.

2. SRO-43 Cases Pending Resolution: Families of employees lost to electrocution await compensation.

3. Deputation Allowance: Employees on deputation to corporations are being denied allowance.

4. Promotion Delays: Unbundling has led to unfilled vacancies, delaying promotions in non-engineering grades.

5. Grievance Committee Absence: A grievance handling committee promised in 2019 has yet to be established.

6. Irregular Salary Payments: Salary and allowance payments are inconsistently managed via grant-in-aid funds.

7. Payslip and Loan Access Issues: Employees are unable to access payslips online and are excluded from instant loan services provided to other government employees.

8. Disparities in HRD Wing: Non-engineering employee files face delays, unlike engineering cadre files.

9. Lack of Safety Equipment and Training: While officers receive training, field staff lack safety provisions.

10. Pending Welfare Funds: Welfare funds intended for accident cases remain unaccounted.

11. Post-Retirement Conflicts: Senior officers are reported to join multinational companies shortly after retirement, raising concerns over conflicts of interest.

12. Data Manipulation: Allegations of biased data targeting specific employee groups.

13. Contract Award Concerns: Contract awards to multinational firms require investigation for potential irregularities.

The Coordination Committee urges the Chief Minister to address these issues swiftly, restoring employee rights and improving working conditions in JKPDD.

(JKNEWS NATION)