Follow Us
Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, June 16
In a major decision, the Punjab Government has shifted entire canal lining section of the Irrigation Department to the newly constituted Department of Mines and Geology.
The order dated June 12 (copy of which is with The Tribune) states that the employees of canal lining section from now onwards, will be at the disposal of the restructured Department of Mines and Geology. And, they will be considered on deputation, until their final absorption, if any. More than 500 employees of Canal Lining section have been affected, including the Chief Engineer.
Moreover, the employees have been asked to report in Chandigarh at the earliest.
Opposing the move, the employees of canal lining section protested at the Punjab Irrigation Department in Patiala on Friday. Later, agitating employees handed over a memorandum to the Assistant Commissioner.
In February, this year, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder directed to constitute a separate Mining Department and it was decided in a Cabinet meeting that the staff would be drawn from the Water Resources Department, thereby, entailing no extra cost.
The affected employees have decided to hold a protest in front of the Chief Minister’s residence on June 18.
The canal lining section of the Irrigation Department was responsible for equitable supplies of canal water to farmers. The said department was entrusted with reducing the incidents of frequent eroding and breaches of canal banks.
It is pertinent to mention that Punjab has an irrigation network of 14,482 km in the form of main canals, distributaries and minors.
Khusvinder Kumar Kapla, president, Clerical Employee Union (Irrigation) said, “There is a lot of confusion related to the orders. Employees who would be retiring in coming months will face a daunting task. Certain Junior Engineers who were undergoing training are in a fix as their training has been halted.”
Defending the move, the Irrigation Department stated that a step has been taken keeping in mind public interest.
Gurdyal Singh, Superintendent Engineer Canal Drainage, who holds the charge of Canal-Lining section said, “The Punjab Government’s decision to send the entire department on deputation has come as a shocker.”
1
4
7
9