Grievances galore within Water Resources Dept
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 16 2018: Many employees of Water Resources Department are not happy with the orders issued by the department on December 13 for promotion of a number of Assistant Engineers (AE) to the rank of Superintending Engineers (SE) and Executive Engineers (EE) on in-charge basis.

The Under Secretary (Water Resources) issued two orders on December 13.The first order pertained to promotion of seven AEs to SE in-charge while the second order promoted 26 AEs to EE in-charge.

It is reported that the orders were based on final seniority list published on February 1 this year.

However, the orders issued on December 13 demoted some officers who were already working as SEs to the rank of EE in-charge while some other officers working as EE in-charge have been promoted as SE in-charge.

The two orders have placed many senior officers who had given the charge of SE earlier and are close to retirement under junior officers who have been promoted as SE in-charge anew.

Now the senior officers who are close to retirement feel like taking voluntary retirement on account of the two orders issued on December 13, informed a source.

In May 2014, when the Water Resources Department was known as Irrigation and Flood Control Department, the Government issued an order whereby 23 officers were promoted to AE.

But in September same year, 23 AEs were recruited directly through MPSC.

Subsequently, the AEs were given the charges of EE and SE from time to time.

Assigning a higher post to an officer in addition to his/her substantive post is very much related to his/her experience, said the source.

The department issued a series of orders on April 26, May 12, May 26 and July 10 of 2017 whereby a number of AEs were assigned duties of EE and SE on in-charge basis.

Another order was issued on August 3, 2017 whereby AEs were given charges of SE and EE as an interim arrangement.

The orders issued on December 13 were the latest ones whereby many officers who were earlier assigned charges of SE on the basis of their experience were demoted to EEs while those who were working as EEs have been promoted to SEs albeit on in-charge basis.

This arrangement has bred serious discontentment among the demoted officers and those senior officers who are close to retirement feel like taking voluntary retirement, said the source.

Many employees of the department have expressed strong desire for the State Government to review the orders issued on December 13, added the source.

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