80 PWD engineers seek promotions

Around 80 Public Works Department (PWD) engineers were arrested on Thursday when they attempted to picket the office of the chief engineer. The PWD Engineers Coordination Committee had organised a fill-the-jails agitation in protest against the delay in implementing promotions on the basis of seniority, in accordance with a Supreme Court order passed in April, 2010. They also demanded the immediate filling up of vacant positions.

The engineers were on a strike since August 28  and had organised a series of protests in support of their demands.

Several engineers have been serving in the same post for several years, some of them for 33 years without promotion, said Ezhilvannan, general secretary of the association. The Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) should be convened and all ad hoc promotions made since 1996 should be reviewed while new promotions should be effected immediately as per the SC order, he demanded. Despite assurances from Chief Minister N Rangasamy over implementation of the order, nothing has materialised so far, added Ezhilvannan.