After the state Government failed to revise the seniority list in the Irrigation Department Punjab, the Engineers’ Association has threatened to go on a mass leave. The association will hold a meeting on Wednesday and if the government does not take any step, they will proceed on leave.

Junior officers belonging to the reserved category, the association claims, are serving on senior positions, despite the recent HC directive that had quashed the government notification, which gave preference to the reserved category candidates in promotions. Subsequently, the government quashed the notification, but the reserved category candidates are still occupying the posts.

In its September 9 order, the Punjab and Haryana High Court stated that “promotions to the posts of chief engineers should be made on substantive basis within two months” as per eligibility.

Department sources confirmed that despite the HC order, a reserved category officer, much junior to other officers in the department, held a key position and general category officers of his rank were posted as his juniors.

Interestingly, Principal Secretary, Irrigation, Suresh Kumar confirmed that after the HC ruling the earlier notification was cancelled following the orders of the Governor.

Petitioner Prithpal Singh had stated before court that no other department in the Punjab Government had placed junior officers from reserved category at senior positions, and the practice was followed only by the Irrigation department.

“Prithpal was recruited in 1976 as Sub-Divisional Engineer and some reserved category officers were appointed for the same post in 1978. Though the petitioner was senior to them, they got accelerated promotions,” read the petition.  

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