The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has ordered the placement of two Superintending Engineers of the Jal Shakti Department as In-charge Chief Engineers.

As per the orders issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti, Shaleen Kabra, upon their elevation, Er. Vijay Singh Manhas has been posted as Director Technical, Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (JKERA), while Er. Rajeev Gupta has been posted as Chief Engineer, Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC).

The elevation of these officers forms part of a larger initiative undertaken by Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana, soon after assuming charge of the Ministry.

The Minister has taken a proactive approach to address the long-pending issue of vacancies at higher levels within the Department.

Recognizing the critical need to strengthen the administrative and technical leadership of the Jal Shakti Department, the Minister undertook a comprehensive review and examination exercise within the Ministry.

Subsequently, a proposal for relaxation of promotion rules was prepared and approved by the Council of Ministers, headed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. Under this reform-oriented drive, all promotional posts in the Department have been filled within a span of ten months, marking a major step toward ensuring efficiency and accountability in the functioning of the Jal Shakti Department.

The promotion process has now been fully streamlined, paving the way for timely and merit-based career progression of engineers and other officers in the future.

The Department has expressed confidence that the appointment of Er. Manhas and Er. Gupta as In-charge Chief Engineers will bring renewed dynamism, professional excellence and stronger project execution capabilities to their respective organizations.