The Jammu and Kashmir Electrical Engineering Graduates Association (JKEEGA) on Monday demanded the immediate withdrawal of the recently notified 11 kV self-certification policy and urged the government to appoint technically qualified Managing Directors in all power sector corporations, saying both issues are critical to public safety and efficient governance of the sector.
Addressing a press conference at the association’s headquarters in Bemina, JKEEGA General Secretary Er. Pirzada Hidayatullah said reforms in the power sector should not come at the cost of public safety, statutory accountability, or professional standards. Pirzada Hidayatullah said reforms in the extension of self-certification from 650 volts to 11 kV, arguing that high-voltage installations have significant implications for public safety, grid reliability, and regulatory oversight.
JKEEGA alleged that the policy was notified without adequate technical impact assessment, stakeholder consultation, or comparative regulatory evaluation.
It urged the Electrical Inspection Wing remain essential for high-voltage installations and should not be diluted in the name of ease of doing business.
JKEEGA also renewed its demand for the appointment of Technical Managing Directors in all power sector corporations, saying the recommendation formed a key part of the unbundling process of the erstwhile Power Development Department.
The association said power utilities deal with complex engineering systems, transmission, distribution, generation planning, regulatory compliance, and project execution, requiring leadership with technical expertise and operational experience.
“Technical Managing Directors are not an individual demand of engineers but an institutional requirement for professionally managed power utilities”.
The Unbundling Committee had clearly envisioned technically led corporations, and the Government must implement its recommendations in letter and spirit,” Hidayatullah said.
JKEEGA said appointing technical heads would strengthen professional governance and operational efficiency, while retaining statutory electrical safety mechanisms would enhance public confidence and protect critical infrastructure.
He added that reforms related to withdraw the 11 kV self-certification notification pending a comprehensive technical review and simultaneously expedite the appointment of Technical Managing Directors in all power sector corporations.
It also urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, and Additional Chief Secretary, Power Development Department, Ashwani Kumar, to intervene and address both issues in the interest of public safety, institutional governance, and the efficient functioning of the power sector.
The association also appealed to the government to withdraw the 11 kV self-certification notification pending a comprehensive technical review and simultaneously expedite the appointment of Technical Managing Directors in all power sector corporations.
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