Kohima, September 17 (MExN): The Association of Engineers, NPWD (AOE, NPWD) and ANDESA serving under the state PWD has stated the reasons for their going on agitation. The reasons they gave were that the government failed to withdraw the order empowering the chief town planner to exercise the powers of the chief engineer (Works & Housing) and government’s order in separating the engineering wing of the Urban Development department from the Works & Housing Department. A demand is also being made that modification of the proposal for creation of the technical posts in the Urban Development department should be as per the ‘amalgamation principle.’
The two associations in a joint press release received here stated that they have issued the press statement for the “understanding of the public with regard to agitation.” During the late 1980s, it stated, the Federation of Nagaland State Engineering Services Association had observed that many engineering wings were mushrooming in all the major departments where junior technical officers were randomly deputed to wings in higher posts and subsequently regularised in that post. This created a lot of discontentment among the deserving officers of the PWD. To stop such anomalies, the FONSESA had approached the government for amalgamation of all the engineering wings under the Works & Housing department and to have a common cadre of the technical officers.
After many deliberations, the joint statement stated, the government agreed to the demands of the FONSESA. Subsequently, a notification was issued during December 1988. Accordingly, all the engineering wings attached to various government departments; except the departments of Nagaland State Transport, Geology & Mining and Agriculture were amalgamated into one department and the cadre management under the Works & Housing department till date.
In 2008 the government issued a notification for separation of the engineering wing of the Urban Development department outside the purview of the amalgamation principle, and further created technical posts in the department. It came into effect despite resentment expressed by the association. If at all such an exigency occurs, the same can be done in line with the amalgamation order, the engineers stated. The association was of the view that creation of new technical posts would increase the scope of employment of the technical professionals.
“However, random creation of posts without obtaining proposals with full justification from the department of Works & Housing would only invite complications rather than solutions,” it explained.
The note further mentioned that the AOE, NPWD was astonished to learn that the government had issued a notification on July 2008, empowering the chief town planner to exercise the powers of the chief engineer (Works & Housing) for the purpose of according approval of all estimates.
Here the associations pointed out that the professional functions of the chief town planner and the chief engineer are completely different and one professional cannot carry out the functions of the other. But the town planner carries out the function of town and country planning while the civil engineer executes the plans formulated by the planners by applying the right engineering techniques.
It was for this reason that an executing division of the PWD was placed at the disposal of the Urban Development department to be the executing agency of the plans. Moreover, the association said that “the chief town planner, having a completely different technical qualification and background was empowered to function as a civil engineer” which is an “infringement on the professional functions and powers of the civil engineers”.
In a related matter, the committee constituted to study the representation submitted its report on August 26. On receiving the communication from the state’s chief secretary that the report would be taken up with the cabinet for their final decision, the association temporarily suspended the proposed mass casual leave plan of August 27 and the 28th till September 15.
However, the government did not fulfil the assurances given on August 26. For this, the members of the two associations decided to resume the proposed agitation in the form of ‘mass casual leave’ for four days (September 17, 18, 22 and 23). The associations have stated that the agitation would continue if the government does not revoke the said orders. The associations have requested the public to bear with any inconvenience that may be caused due to the stir.
