Srinagar: The Engineers who were engaged under the ‘Self Help Group of Engineers Scheme’ (SHGES) on Thursday demanded revocation of the Government order under which the scheme was abolished last year.
Addressing a press conference here, Pervez Safvi state head of the Self Help Group Engineers’ Association (SHGEA) said that while the Government is making tall claims of employing the youth, at the same they are depriving many of them of their jobs.
The SHG scheme was launched by the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government 2003. It was an alternative to regular employment for unemployed engineering graduates in the region. The scheme reserved 30% of the total jobs in construction and upgradation of infrastructure work in various government departments and corporations, for these groups.
However on August 10 last year, the governor administration abolished the SHGs, leaving hundreds of engineers jobless.
“We tried to approach everyone, including LG but no one is willing to meet us,” Pervaiz said.
“What is being done is ironic as the laying down of guidelines for the scheme took at least 8 years and the scheme was abolished in a jiffy; our families are on the verge of starvation while we don’t have any means to earn our livelihood.”
Notably, the Government has constituted a committee in this regard 4 months ago; however, after 2 meetings of the committee headed by the Advisor R.R. Bhatnagar, the engineers said, nothing worthwhile has come out of it.
“The committee had sought reports from the concerned departments which has applauded the work that we have been doing under the scheme for more than 20 years, but we see nothing coming out of it,” he said.
Jobless engineers appealed to PM Modi and sought restoration of the scheme.
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