PESHAWAR, April 4: Some senior mechanical engineers in the water wing of Wapda have complained that they have been deprived of promotion since longs. “A majority of those who were not promoted were from Balochistan or the NWFP and we think it’s a case of discrimination,” said one complainant in a statement.

Junior officials in the same department had reached the top slots in a short period, while those whose promotion was due had been ignored, said a senior mechanical engineer who has reached the age of retirement without being promoted.

Most of the engineers in the power wing of the authority had been put in special cadre where they got promotions on a priority basis, whereas most of the engineers in the water wing had been waiting for promotions for more than 30 years, said an official.

The seniority list was split into two categories in 1980 into mechanical and civil/mining/electrical engineering without giving the engineers an option, officials said.

Those in one wing were enjoying posts of chief engineers and superintendent engineers whereas the promotions in the water wing had been stopped, the statement said.

“Our colleagues with civil engineering degree are getting regular promotions but it’s not the case with us,” said an engineer of the water wing. “It is frustrating that the mechanical engineers, a majority of them hailing from the NWFP, are facing discrimination, the officials stated.