The Urban Development Department (UDD) in an unofficial note on Monday sent back 15 executive engineers to the Public Works Department citing no vacancies in the Smart City project and BMRCL that is executing Namma Metro.

The executive engineers had been demoted in 2018 over the consequential seniority given to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, but promoted following the Supreme Court order that upheld the Karnataka Extension of Consequential Seniority to Government Servants Promoted on the Basis of Reservation (To the Posts in the Civil Services of the State) Act, 2017.

In the note, UDD reminded the PWD that deployment of engineers should have to be done in consultation with the UDD and currently, there was no vacancy for the post of executive engineer. It also said that since their services were not required in the department, they were being returned to the PWD. “After the Supreme Court order, the PWD gave the demoted engineers their old cadre and sent them to other departments for posting.

Sent to other departments

In all, of 217 executive engineers in PWD, who were demoted last year and promoted now, 215 have been sent out of the department,” said D. Chandrashekaraiah, legal adviser to State Government SC and ST Employees’ Coordination Committee.

“Just two executive engineers have been accommodated in PWD though there are over 250 such posts lying vacant in the department,” he said.

Mr. Chandrashekaraiah said during the meeting with Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, the flawed implementation of the Government Order seeking to restore the original cadres had been brought to his notice. “Public Works Minister H.D. Revanna has assured that fresh posting will be given to them,” Mr. Chandrashekaraiah said.

Meanwhile, PWD sources defended that the department can deploy its engineers wherever necessary and it depends on public interest.