There is discontent among some of the senior engineers in the Public Works Department, with at least six chief engineers not given any posting. This is even as four chief engineers have been given additional charge and 11 posts are still lying vacant. Also, chief engineers being randomly posted to different zones, irrespective of their technical expertise, has caused much discomfort, sources in the department reveal.
The six chief engineers are among the senior-most officers, who were promoted to the post as early as 2007. According to sources, these officials were at home, drawing hefty monthly salaries since June without doing any work. “Giving additional charges to chief engineers while some are sitting idle at home is likely to hamper work, as one chief engineer will be involved in two big projects. It is also a waste of human resources,” a source said. At present, 56 chief engineers, who form the top layer in the PWD hierarchy, are on the rolls, while there are 67 chief engineer cadre posts available. Of the total chief engineers, seven have not been given posting while even among those given posting, four have not taken charge as they are unhappy with their posting, sources said.
A senior PWD official said the transfer and posting of chief engineers was decided by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms, which functions under the Chief Minister.
Also, under the JD(S)-Congress government, the department, headed by H.D. Revanna, has been accused of clearing random transfers without considering technical expertise. For example, a chief engineer known for his expertise in dams is now with the Panchayat Raj Engineering Department and is learnt to be sulking. “Earlier, a cadre management authority existed to post chief engineers according to their expertise. It was headed by the Chief Secretary and had members from various departments. Unfortunately, the authority was scrapped in 2013 and transfer powers given to the respective Ministers. Since then, transfers have been random,” an official said.
Meanwhile, a senior official in the DPAR played down the issue, calling it a “routine matter” reported across departments and not specific to chief engineers. “If someone is waiting for a transfer, such things are reported to us from various departments. Once the files are moved, postings are normally given,” the official said.
