‘Promote chief engineers’
Tribune News Service, November 29 2009

Shimla
The Himachal Power Engineers’ Association has urged the management of the state electricity board to upgrade 40 per cent posts of chief engineer to the level of engineer-in-chief and fill the posts of directors in the state power corporation from among the serving engineers of the board.

The issue was raised during a meeting with management of the board by the association which insisted that director-level posts in the state power corporation must be filled from among the serving chief engineer (electrical) to be selected from the panel of engineers, instead of calling for interview and it should be considered as cadre post of board which had 40 per cent equity participation in the company.

General secretary of the association Suneel Grover claimed that the management assured that such recommendations would go from the board to the corporation after approval of the state government and effort would be made to fill the post falling vacant on November 30 filled in this manner.

On issues like revision of delegation of financial powers, rationalisation of norms and material management, it was decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of secretary of the board which would submit its recommendations within a month. Regarding filling of vacant posts of senior executive engineers and superintending engineers, the management informed that some interim arrangements were being made to fill in view of status-quo ordered by the high court. However, it was agreed to fill vacant SE’s post immediately.

It was further informed that the process for recruitment of 88 posts of assistant engineer had been started and the management also agreed to recruit at least 50 engineers every year henceforth.

The association stressed the need of creation of posts of superintending engineer (protection) in the board as it was the only utility in the country, which did not have this important organ. Also the need for strengthening the SERC directorate and creation of director (training) was highlighted to which the management agreed.

The management agreed that the demand for providing incentives to engineers working in power houses and in the state load despatch centre was genuine and assured that suitable decision regarding quantum of incentives would be taken shortly.