Dimapur, August 10 (MExN): The state government of Nagaland has violated its own policy directives by empowering the Chief Town Planner to exercise the powers of Chief Engineer (Works & Housing). The Association of Engineers of the state PWD are disgruntled that the state government refuses to address this anomaly till date. Considering the statement of the association received here today, the engineers are perceived to take an own course of agitation for an issue they have been demanding redress for, for a long time.
The Government of Nagaland (Urban Development Department) had issued a notification on July 1, 2008, empowering the Chief Town Planner to exercise the powers of the Chief Engineer (Works & Housing) for the purpose of according approval on all estimates. Another notification was issued on September 3, 2008 separating the engineering wing of the Urban Development department from the Works & Housing department outside the purview of the “Amalgamation principle.” This policy advocated by the government is in violation of the Amalgamation Order issued earlier by the state government on December 6, 1988.
The PWD engineers had made a number of demands to the government in October 2008. The demands were that the government’s order empowering the Chief Town Planner to exercise the power of the Chief Engineer (Works & Housing) should be revoked. Also, the government order separating the engineering wing of the Urban Development department from the Works & Housing department should be revoked. The engineers further demanded modification in the proposal made for creating technical posts in the Urban Development department. This should be according to the “Amalgamation principle,” the engineers had demanded
Notwithstanding the efforts exerted by the association, the government has till date paid no heed. To deliberate on the lackadaisical attitude of the government, an emergency meeting of the office bearers, executive committee and senior members of the association was held on August 7.
The engineers are unanimous that the association has exhausted “normal channels for realising the demands” and have been left with no other option but to resort to other forms of addressing the “non-fulfilment” of the demands.
‘District teams’ have been constituted to visit each district from August 12 to the 20th, to apprise members of the present state of affairs and future course of action to be taken. Views and opinions of the members will be recorded, the association said. All members are requested to remain in their respective places of posting to interact with the district teams during their visits.
.jpg)
