(From left) Bihar Engineering Services Association (Besa) president Ashok Kumar Verma, general secretary Rajeshwar Mishra and member Amarendra Kumar address a news meet in Patna on Sunday. More than 6000 engineers owing allegiance to the association threatened to go on strike from February 6 if the state government refused to pay heed to their charter of demands. At a meeting at Abhiyanta Bhavan on Boring Road, the association decided that its members would protest the government’s decision to split Besa into different departments. The members also opposed the state government’s decision to recruit engineers through campus selections at colleges. Verma said: “This will lead to corporate-style administration, where there is no job security.” Text by Roshan Kumar, picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh