PUDA engineers up in arms over fresh appointments from other department

Members of PUDA Engineers’ Association are up in arms over the fresh appointments from other departments. The members, who were on two-day mass leave till Friday,

Members of PUDA Engineers’ Association are up in arms over the fresh appointments from other departments. The members, who were on two-day mass leave till Friday, will decide on the next course of action in the coming week.

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The engineers are protesting against the recent appointment of Tej Ram Kathnoria as the superintending engineer of GMADA besides other deputations in various regional offices of PUDA across the state. Kathnoria, who has joined from the Punjab public works department, has not only been given the charge of SE, but has also got special powers of chief engineer.

Mandeep Singh, president of PUDA Engineers’ Association, said it was only Kathnoria’s appointment, but they are again bringing 10 more employees with him from other departments. “The deputationist has even been given one post higher than their rank in the parent department. We will fight tooth and nail and would chalk out a strategy of protest,” he added.

It may be recalled that the then state government has appointed Surinder Pal Singh alias Pehelwan on deputation from Mandi Board as the executive engineer in GMADA in 2012 and was later given the charge of chief engineer. In June 2017, Punjab’s vigilance bureau had registered a case against him after it unearthed 92 properties worth ₹59 crore he had allegedly amassed. He was jailed and is currently out on bail.

Mandeep Singh said the incident of Surinder Pal had tarnished the image of PUDA. “Now, with the appointment of fresh deputationists, it is feared that it may lead to the same situation,” he added.