By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 14: The Association of Power Engineers, Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) on Friday asked the government to fill up vacancies by promoting junior engineers to assistant engineers within a month.
The deadline was decided during the general body meeting of the association at the U Soso Tham Auditorium.
“We request the management to promote the junior engineers as assistant engineers within a month, irrespective of the recruitment process of those who have completed service of four years, be it diploma or graduate engineers,” the president of the association, Arju Dkhar told reporters. He also informed that the association will resort to agitation if the government fails to meet the one-month deadline.
He said the association requested the government to fill up these vacancies on priority so that field employees – permanent, contractual, or casual – at the substations and power stations get some relief.
Citing the service rules and regulations of 1996, he said junior engineers are Class II employees of the organisation but their pay scale is of Class III employees.
“The junior engineers get the pay scale of class II officers only after completing five years of service,” Dkhar said.
He said the association would urge the management to ensure the junior engineers get their due according to the service rules and regulations, which should be commensurate with the revised pay scale of Class II officers effective January 1, 2025.
He said there are no less than 1,000 vacancies although the MeECL has 1,600-1,700 contractual employees at different levels.
“Apart from filling up the priority posts, the government should prepare a roadmap to fill up vacancies at the field level,” Dkhar said.
Replying to a query, he said the MeECL used to be financially stable but has been facing a crisis because of the laxity in recovering its dues.
“Also, some decisions threatened the survival of the institution. Such decisions should be avoided,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dkhar also informed that the state government has started to implement the terminal retirement benefit for its retired employees.
Lauding Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and his cabinet colleagues for fulfilling the statutory requirement as per the provisions laid down in the Electricity Act, 2003, he said it was mandatory for the state government to fulfill the obligations.