Jaipur: The rural development and panchayati raj department has issued an order to merge watershed development and soil conservation department, which was under the state’s agriculture department, with panchayati raj department.
However, the engineers, appointed under the panchayati raj department, have opposed the merger saying it would deprive the engineers of promotions, while agriculture engineers of the watershed watershed department would be given preference.
“First, they are agriculture engineers and not civil engineers. As per rule, they can’t be merged with panchayati raj because agriculture engineers are not adept at construction of roads and buildings. Agriculture engineers don’t have expertise in building roads and houses as they were not trained as civil engineers during their 4-year degree course. This is our first objection,” said Ramavtar Meena, state president, rural development and panchayati raj engineers’ association.
“The merger of both the departments is against the law as per the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) rule, which says that agriculture engineers can’t work as civil engineers. Second, the government of India has stopped funding one of the plans of the watershed department. It has been done to favour agriculture engineers in promotions,” he added.
“Second, agriculture engineers are recruited as per the agriculture act, 1978, while our (rural development and panchayati raj services) hiring is done as per amendments to the panchayati raj act, 2013. In the panchayati raj department, of the 2,700 posts of junior engineers, only 57 are filled. However, junior engineers and assistant engineers have been appointed in the agriculture department in an unlawful manner. Now, instead of promoting 180 assistant engineers of our department, they want to promote engineers of watershed department unlawfully by merging both the departments,” said Meena.
However, the engineers, appointed under the panchayati raj department, have opposed the merger saying it would deprive the engineers of promotions, while agriculture engineers of the watershed watershed department would be given preference.
“First, they are agriculture engineers and not civil engineers. As per rule, they can’t be merged with panchayati raj because agriculture engineers are not adept at construction of roads and buildings. Agriculture engineers don’t have expertise in building roads and houses as they were not trained as civil engineers during their 4-year degree course. This is our first objection,” said Ramavtar Meena, state president, rural development and panchayati raj engineers’ association.
“The merger of both the departments is against the law as per the AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education) rule, which says that agriculture engineers can’t work as civil engineers. Second, the government of India has stopped funding one of the plans of the watershed department. It has been done to favour agriculture engineers in promotions,” he added.
“Second, agriculture engineers are recruited as per the agriculture act, 1978, while our (rural development and panchayati raj services) hiring is done as per amendments to the panchayati raj act, 2013. In the panchayati raj department, of the 2,700 posts of junior engineers, only 57 are filled. However, junior engineers and assistant engineers have been appointed in the agriculture department in an unlawful manner. Now, instead of promoting 180 assistant engineers of our department, they want to promote engineers of watershed department unlawfully by merging both the departments,” said Meena.
