Himachal PWD mechanical division faces 82 pc staff shortage

The Public Works Department’s (PWD) Mechanical Division in Dharamshala, responsible for maintaining machinery and vehicles across Kangra and Chamba districts, is facing a severe staff shortage, with only 58 employees against 330 sanctioned posts. This leaves just 17 to 18 per cent of the approved workforce in place, affecting workshop operations and increasing dependence on private contractors for specialized repair work.

Executive Engineer Rohit Raj Kiran said the shortage had persisted for nearly a decade, and the staffing situation had deteriorated over the years. He said the office and clerical work was being managed, but the lack of technical and field staff made it difficult to run departmental operations smoothly.

According to Kiran, the department has repeatedly raised the issue with senior officials and the state government, seeking recruitment to vacant posts and the minimum staff required to maintain routine operations. However, no substantial improvement has been made so far.

The mechanical division covers the entire Kangra and Chamba districts, including tribal areas such as Bharmour and Pangi-Killar. It operates major workshops in Dharamshala, Palampur, Nurpur and Chamba, which handle the maintenance, repair and operation of departmental machinery and vehicles. The division is also responsible for launching, installing, and removing steel truss bridges, Bailey bridges, and footbridges.

Workshop Modernisation Remains a Challenge

Kiran said the shortage of technical personnel has increased the department’s dependence on outside contractors and firms for major and specialised repairs previously handled in departmental workshops.

He added that workshop facilities had not been upgraded to keep pace with technological changes. Proposals to outsource essential services had been sent to senior officials, but no concrete progress had been made. Modernisation would help the department handle repairs and new technology-related work in-house.

Over 300 machinery units and vehicles scrapped

Kiran said around 271 to 272 machinery and vehicle units were currently operational across Kangra and Chamba. In 2023, the department condemned more than 300 units under the scrapping policy, in line with Central and state government guidelines for vehicles and machinery aged 15 years or older.

He said nearly 60 per cent of the scrapped units had been replaced over the past three years. The department had received new excavator-cum-loaders, tippers and Bolero campers, but it still needed to replace the remaining units to close the gap.

Scope for electric vehicle facilities

Kiran said the workshops could also support the state government’s push for electric mobility and green energy. Facilities for electric vehicle maintenance and charging stations could be developed if the workshops were modernised and adequate technical staff were made available.