Engineers want pay, rank parity with IAS

Engineers want pay, rank parity with IAS

Representatives of the Central Public Works Department’s (CPWD) Central Engineering Service Group ‘A’ association, on Thursday, approached the Seventh Central Pay Commission.

They demanded that Group ‘A’ engineers be treated at par, in terms of pay scale and career progression, with IAS officers.

The association has also demanded that they be given an additional 25 per cent of their basic pay as “non-practicing allowance”.

It has also asked that engineers be imparted at least a two-year international training exposure, just as it is done for IAS officers.

Representatives of the Indian Telecom Services and the Central Power Engineering Services too made their submissions before the commission.

In a written submission, the association says, “The engineering fraternity has been denied their due importance in government jobs… The career progression of engineers joining the engineering services is very slow.”

It further stated, “Most of the members of the engineering services more often report to the officers of other services who are much junior in terms of year of joining. These officers recruited through engineering services also end up drawing lesser pay and perks as compared to their counter parts in civil services.”

Reportedly, the fifth pay commission had recommended that all organised group ‘A’ services — including those of the engineering services — should have a model cadre structure which should be achieved by carrying out the cadre reviews.

However, the letter states, “These recommendations were not implemented in the right spirit. It has taken 10 to 15 years to implement cadre reviews for engineering services. On the other hand, most of the civil services have cadre structure either on par or much above the model cadre structure.”

The association has demanded that promotional aspects should be made at par with the civil services, a strict batch parity be maintained in respect of promotions and director-general of CPWD be declared the ex-officio secretary to the Government of India, among others.