The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) is so short-staffed that any emergency leaves employees struggling to cope.
The Association of Power Engineers at MeECL held its general body meeting here today wherein it decided to request the state government to fill up vacancies in the state-owned power company on a priority basis.
Association president Arju Dkhar said that the government should have a roadmap to fill up the vacancies at all levels, especially in the field.
Dkhar pointed out that during recent incidents in the state brought about through bad weather, MeECL workers were on the job 24×7 without respite.
“We have given our best shot with limited resources and under a lot of constraints,” he said, adding that there are around 1,000 vacancies.
Meanwhile, on the issue of pay, Dkhar pointed out that, as per the 1996 Service Regulation, junior engineers are Class 2 category employees of MeECL but their pay scale starts as that of Class 3 employees.
According to him, only after completion of five years of service do the junior engineers get the pay scale of Class 2 officers.
“We put forward before the management that in this revision of pay scale which would be effective from January 1, 2025 it should be ensured that the junior engineers get their due rights as per the service regulation which is commensurate with the pay scale of Class 2 officers,” Dkhar said.
He also said that during the meeting it was resolved that the management fill up the vacancies of junior engineers to assistant engineers irrespective of recruitment.
“For those assistant engineers (diploma or graduate engineers) who have completed service of four years be placed as assistant executive engineers,” Dkhar said.
