Govt appoints 8 in-charge Superintending Engineers as ‘temporary’ CEs
Srinagar: The vacant post of Chief Engineer (CE) in the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department Kashmir has finally been filled up temporarily.
The post was vacant since March this year following Braham Jyoti Sharma’s retirement.
In a significant administrative move, the Jammu and Kashmir Government elevated eight in-charge Superintending Engineers as temporary Chief Engineers under the Jal Shakti Department.
According to details available with the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Er. Showkat Hussain has been appointed as in-charge CE, I&FC Kashmir, while other officers were posted across PHE Jammu, PHE Kashmir, UEED J&K, and JKPDC.
Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana said the appointments aim to strengthen leadership, ensure uninterrupted public services, and maintain timely execution of flood and irrigation works, particularly with winter approaching.
An official statement accessed by KNO said the decision, taken under exceptional circumstances by the department led by Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmed Rana, is part of a broader strategy to reinforce managerial oversight and operational efficiency across key infrastructural sectors under the department’s purview.
“The move comes in light of pressing administrative exigencies and the need to ensure continuity in the functioning of critical divisions within the Jal Shakti Department and its allied organizations. The placements have been made to provide leadership support at the Chief Engineer level in view of existing vacancies, without allowing any disruption in project execution or departmental operations,” the statement reads.
According to a Government Order issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, eight officers—namely Er. Mohammad Hanief, Er. Showkat Hussain, Er. Rakesh Kumar Gupta, Er. Jugal Kishore Nagotra, Er. Naseeb Chand, Er. Dev Raj Bhagat, Er. Zakir Hussain, and Er. Muneer Hussain—have been temporarily placed as in-charge Chief Engineers.
The statement further said that, after placement, the officers were posted in various wings of the Jal Shakti Department. Er. Mohammad Hanief has been posted as in-charge Chief Engineer, PHE Jammu; Er. Showkat Hussain as in-charge Chief Engineer, Irrigation & Flood Control, Kashmir; Er. Rakesh Kumar Gupta as in-charge Chief Engineer, PHE Kashmir; Er. Jugal Kishore Nagotra as in-charge Chief Engineer, UEED, J&K; whereas Er. Naseeb Chand, Er. Dev Raj Bhagat, Er. Zakir Hussain, and Er. Muneer Hussain have been placed at the disposal of JKPDC for further assignment.
“Reaffirming the commitment of the Omar Abdullah-led Government to transparency, meritocracy, and institutional integrity, Minister Javed Rana emphasized that all personnel decisions have been taken in line with the principles of responsive governance and public accountability. The department remains committed to aligning its human resource strategy with the evolving needs of the sector and public interest. This move reflects our continued effort to strengthen leadership across all levels of the engineering cadre,” the statement further reads—(KNO)
