Punjab Engineers threaten stir against Pay Commission recommendations

Chandigarh: The Punjabi Engineers Welfare Society (PEWS), a representative body of Engineers serving in all departments, corporations, authorities and boards of Punjab, has threatened strike and dharna on roads if the Punjab Government does not revise the just-notified recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Addressing the media, President of the Society Er. Manmohan Singh and General Secretary Er. Rachpal Singh Butter stated that the state government has not only ignored the long-pending demand for additional allowances, but has rather degraded their status by reducing the scales and allowances.

In a memorandum to the Chief Minister Punjab, the Society has demanded grant of NPA to Engineers on the lines of NPA (Non Practicing Allowance) given to doctors or the engineers too should be allowed to practice privately during non-office hours.

Even the entry scale of Sub-Divisional Engineers, which was at level 18 at par with PCS executive and medical officers has been downgraded to Level 14 without any reason as per the recent recruitment advertisement through Punjab Public Service Commission, that has agitated the engineers.

Manmohan Singh, President of the PEWS stated that Engineers belong to a highly educated technical cadre and under no circumstances should their status, salary and facilities be compromised.

PEWS in its memorandum lamented reduction of allowance for Punjab’s officers and employees in the Sixth Pay Commission, reducing HRA and other percentage-based allowances to 80 percent on basic salary which was 100 percent earlier, despite the increasing rate of inflation, which should be restored to 100 percent.

Punjab’s engineers also demanded restoration of discontinuied city compensatory allowance and conveyance allowance.

The Society’s reiterated its long pending demand for field allowance equivalent to 15 percent of the basic pay, since the engineers have to perform their duties in unfavourable conditions be it rain, scorching heat or thunderstorms.

The Engineers also demanded that the Chief Engineer must be accorded the status and facilities equal to that of the Secretary and , the Superintending Engineer to the Special Secretary of the Punjab Government and similarly, for the Engineers working at all levels.

PEWS said that it strongly endorses the demands of all the Junior Engineers which were being presented separately by the Council of Diploma Engineers, Punjab, and these demands are part of the demands of the Society.

The Engineers said, “The Engineers of all the Departments, Boards and Corporations of Punjab are united against the above decisions of the Sixth Pay Commission implemented by the Punjab Government and if their demands are not met, they will be forced to shut down the offices and come to the streets.”